We're All Mad Here
by AvionVadion
Summary: When Alice finished her game, a new game was needed. So Peter, lost as Alice stayed with Blood, was sent to fetch a new player-a young sarcastic girl named Alexis, who was chosen for her fear of being hated. Now living at the Tower of Clover with the Lizard and the Caterpillar, she wanders around Wonderland. But, will a certain mouse catch her attention? OCxPierce AlicexBlood
1. Down the Rabbit Hole

"Do I have to drink it?" I questioned, eyeing the blue liquid distastefully. I was pretty crazy, and I _was _into many different types of animes and mangas, but to dream about _Alice in Wonderland_? I think I'm turning a little bit insane, and not the good kind of insane either. "It...it might be poisoned, you might be trying to poison me!"

"I would do no such thing to an outsider like thee, but if you refuse much longer this potion I hold, then I'm afraid I will have to stoop to a much lower degree. Please, drink this, and come to Wonderland with me! I swear that nothing in this potion is amiss!"

I frowned and made a face at the tall red-eyed man, who might I mention, had rabbit ears and _white _hair, despite being in his twenties. At least, he looked like he was in his twenties. I _think _he was in his twenties...I could be wrong though. It took me a moment to figure what he meant by stopping to a lower degree, and I asked, "What; you'd force me to drink it?" He nodded with a smile, and I reluctantly grabbed the bottle. I _really _didn't want to drink it. "What's going to happen to me if I drink it?" I felt a small twinge of fear as I stared at the blue liquid in the clear vial. There was a heart on top of it.

"To play the game you must remain, but to win or lose is up to you, and what you_ choose_ to do."

_Why does he keep rhyming? _I wondered, but couldn't disagree with the fact that it was actually highly amusing. I liked rhyming-it makes me giggle. However, I refuse to laugh as this situation was a little...serious. Or at the very most _weird_. I know weird, my friends are weird, _I'm _weird... Slowly reaching a hand up, I uncapped the vial, ignoring the man's huge happy smile. _I don't want to do this... Ugh, what if it tastes like that cherry cough medicine? _I made a face and hesitantly sniffed it, seeing if it smelled bad or not. It didn't smell-it didn't even _have _a smell. It was just a blue liquid. "Is this water or something?"

"That is the Potion of Clover, and it shall help me bring you over!" I'm beginning to think that he's running out of rhymes...That or my imagination is just failing me.

"Okay, just one more question..." I said and looked up at him, cursing myself for being so short as I looked at the really tall man, "If I drink this I'm not really going to die, right? I-I'll just wake up?"

"This is no dream, but I can assure you that you shall live." Wow. He didn't rhyme. Guess even had has his moments of failure. I sighed, really _really _not wanting to drink this thing, but I held it up to my lips and swallowed. "Drink all of it, or the game won't be here for you play."

_If I die, I'm shooting that rabbit in the afterlife, _I thought, swallowing, before coughing as part of it went down the wrong hole. I held a hand up to my mouth as I coughed, but the man merely grinned.

"Welcome to Wonderland, Alexis. The country of Clover, the forest, where surely you now do persist."

...His rhyming makes me laugh, but I don't really like what he's telling me... I wish Sarah and Jack were here... I could always go to them for advice-when I did, which was rare. They usually came to me for advice, while I just kept my problems bottled up and to myself, ranting only in my head and talking to myself until I managed to comfort myself and get rid of all the doubt, all the worries and the fears...

But I had a feeling that I really, _really _shouldn't have drunken that potion...but even if I refused to, he was going to force me. I could see it in his eyes. Plus, a rhyming Bunny Rabbit never lies. I've had plenty of weird dreams to know that much. Though, in all honesty, I doubted this was a dream...

Oh, god, this better not be a dream-inside-a-dream thing where you wake up inside the dream only to later discover that you really _were _dreaming and you wake up again and it turns out that was a dream as well! I _hated _dreamception. So many nice and scary dreams at once... _Ugh. Wait, where'd the rabbit go? _I looked around in confusion, not understanding what was happening.

* * *

_"Hey, did you know?"_

"Sarah!" I cried, rushing over to hug the girl before Jack could reach out and stop me. I quickly lunged forward and tackled her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders as Jack grabbed my fingers and started bending them, trying to get me to release her. It hurt, but I merely reached out and kicked him in the leg, trying to keep my hold on the blonde girl. "I missed you so much!" I was sick again and had missed another day of school. Normally, whenever I was sick, I went to school anyway so as to avoid all the extra homework and so I could see my two best friends. But, this was one of those rare occasions where I was so sick that I was vomiting and nauseous and actually had to stay home less I pass out on the cafeteria floor racing to the lunch line. At least, that was before I stopped eating lunch.

"Mine!" Jack growled, all in good humor though, as he finally managed to pull Sarah away from me and into his arms. The girl laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a quick peck on the lips as I pouted. Jack grinned at me and wrapped his arms around Sarah's waist. "See? Mine. You no get."

"B-But..." I tried to come up with an excuse, and gave a hopeful smile as I said, "Share?"

He didn't even think about it. He just went, "No."

_"There are rules in every game. __It has been decided since the beginning.__ "_

"Sarah~! Jack is being mean to me!"

"When is that new?" I gasped, taking a step back as I placed a hand over my chest. She laughed at my drama.

"B-But, I thought you loved me! We-We had something _special! _We were married four times!"

"And divorced!" Jack cut in, causing me to pout. "And those weren't even real marriages."

"We're not even eighteen."

I huffed and crossed my arms childishly, pouting at them. "You guys are so mean to me..."

"That's the point, Alexis. No Sarah for you."

"B-But...I luvvles her! Platonically!"

"Yeah! And I love her _romantically! _There's a big difference between me and you."

Sarah shook her head at the normal everyday argument, amused. I finally managed to sit back down at the lunch table and rested my head on my arms, pouting like a little kid who didn't get their cookie. "You guys are so mean to me..." I faked sobbed, acting like I was crying as I buried my head down into my arms.

"Aww...is wittle Awexis sad? How _cuuute_." My eyebrows twitched and I could feel my face flame with embarrassment-both from being called "cute" even if it wasn't really a compliment, and from being talked to with a baby voice. I was fifteen, a high school, with practically no romance experience at all-I was going to be embarrassed from being called "cute" or anything of the like. I glared at Jack, who was grinning triumphantly at me.

_"You must participate in the game; that's also one of the rules. It was decided since the beginning."_

"Shut up! You're just sad because you're not as adorable as me!" Jack looked between me and Sarah and asked her,

"Who do you think is cuter? Me," He gave her a big goofy grin as he leaned towards her and kissed her cheek, "or Alexis?"

I gaped, my jaw dropping, as I exclaimed, "That's so unfair! You two are dating-you have an unfair advantage!"

"See! You just admitted I was cuter than you! Ha!"

"Shut up! You know what? Screw you, I'm shunning you for the rest of this movie. I'm taking a nap."

_"But, of course, you already know all of this, right?" _

For some reason, I just felt really sleepy...As I turned my head, having not closed my eyes yet, I thought I saw a white rabbit staring at me from the gym doors, wearing a red checkered coat. I stared in confusion, not understanding what I was looking at. I mean, I was weird, yes, and I watched a lot of animes and manga, and was a huge fan of Tim Burton's _Alice in Wonderland_, but I didn't understand why I was seeing the rabbit from the movie...

_"Huh? You don't know?"_

I frowned, blinking multiple times, just waiting for the rabbit to disappear like an illusion. It didn't. I just stared at me.

"Hey, Alexis, what are you looking at?" I lifted my head and told Sarah,

"Uh, nothing, really. Well, unless a wall counts." I laughed. Then I said, "I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Uh, nothing really. Just stuff." She shook her head at me as I turned to look at the gym door again, surprised to see that the rabbit was gone. I looked around, and found him hiding behind the wall next to the bathrooms. What is up with that? Why was there a rabbit in the middle of the high school? And _why _on earth was it wearing a coat? Am I dreaming? Am I having a dreamception where I think I'm awake but am actually dreaming?

_"As long as you understand that explanation, you don't need to worry." _

What explanation? And why am I...

I stood up, quickly telling a confused Sarah and Jack, "Watch my things. I don't trust people. I'm going to the bathroom." I started to walk to the direction where the white rabbit was, but still didn't understand...

...why I was...

...so dizzy...

I barely managed to make it into the girls' bathroom before I fell to my knees, leaning against the bathroom wall as my vision danced with black and made the world blur and spin. My head hurt...it was like I had a migraine, but was lightheaded at the same time.

"Alexis, Alexis, do not fear. You won't need doubt or worry as long as I'm here." I turned my head at the voice and was startled to see a man with red eyes and white hair smiling at me, _rabbit ears _on top of his head. "I will bring you to Wonderland, and you will not have to fear a turn of hand. My name is Peter. Peter White."

"You...make...no sense..." I managed to get out, before I passed out. When I awoke, I was falling down a giant ass hole that was in the middle of the bathroom-I knew that 'cause I could see the tiled ceiling as we fell-and ended up landing, but not landing, in the middle of a forest.

* * *

I resulted to just walking around blindly trying to figure out where to go. Normally, I was against wandering into unknown places as that usually equaled me getting lost as I'm directionally challenged, or into trouble.

And I was right. For the moment, the very _moment _ stepped foot towards a giant gate which clearly symbolized to keep out, and that you should run away while you still had the chance, I nearly got a bullet to the face. I screamed, stumbled backwards, and tripped as I fell onto my butt. I winced and looked up in alarm, seeing a man with strawberry blonde hair and brown rabbit ears glaring at me.

"Who are you and what business do you have with Blood?"

"Wh-Who?" I stammered, alarmed. I tensed, and feared that if I moved I'd get shot in the head. "Wh-Who's Blood?"

The man scoffed at me, cocking his gun again, as he took a few steps forward. Fear went up my spine as I stared at the gun's barrel, very easily able to imagine a bullet piercing my skull, through my brain, and out of my head, killing me instantly. "Don't act like you don't know." He then noticed as he stood over me, frowning, "You have eyes. Are you new role-holder?"

"_Haaah?_" I debated playing along and acting like I was what he said I was, but I think I already gave myself away with my intelligent question. "Um, c-can-can you please stop pointing that at me? I-I just...I'm lost."

"How do I know you're not a spy? Who are you?"

"Alexis! My name is Alexis!" I answered quickly, trying not to look completely terrified. That was actually rather difficult when the barrel of a gun was pointed straight at your face. "So-So, um, can I go now? I-I'll never come back, I swear! Just-Just don't kill me! I-I mean, as much as I'd _love _to get shot in the face," I flinched when I saw his finger twitch on the trigger, "I'd really like to find out where I am and not get killed, so...yeah." See him in deep thought, I took that chance to roll out of the way in a panic and scream, running for my life in a zigzag motion. "BYE! IT WAS NICE TALKING TO YOU!"

"Hey! Get back here!"

"No! You'll shot me-_GYAH!_" I screamed as bullets rang out in the air, ducking my head as I ran back into the forest. I could hear the man chasing after me, cursing loudly as his bullets barely grazed me and managed to hit the trees. I didn't even know where I was running. I just wanted to live. "Bad day, bad day, bad day, bad day-!" I let out another scream, this one of pure unadulterated pain and terror, as a bullet hit me straight in the shoulder. I fell, crying out in even more pain as my arm hit the ground. _Damn it, it had to be my right! _Of course it was my luck to get shot in my good arm. I forced myself up, running on pure adrenaline now, as I tried to escape.

More bullets shot out, but no more managed to hit me. I think the man cursed because he ran out of bullets and had to reload, thus giving me enough time to get away successfully. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know what town I was in...

I just missed my friends. I mean, I doubted they missed _me_, but I still missed them... And my family. What would my Dad think? My big brother? David, my brother, probably doesn't even know I'm gone-and won't until Dad actually texts him. David was in college, and lived far away from us, so we didn't talk as much as we used too. The thought made me frown as I sat down.

The man with the gun had stopped chasing me a while back, instead returning back to the large mansion with a string of profanities. I found myself a nice tree to lean against, after walking ages and nearing a town. I didn't actually enter the town, however, and just stayed out in the woods near it-though all the doors confused me. It was annoying, having to listen to them chatter endlessly. All they ever said was this:

_"Open me!" _

_"No, Open me!" _

_"Come on, this way! Open me!" _

And it was so repetitive... Alexis felt a little dizzy. She presumed it was from the bloodloss. She reached up to her bleeding shoulder and pressed her hand against it, trying to apply pressure. It was useless, however, as it merely kept bleeding. It hurt...

I could hear mewling-the sound of kittens-and footsteps. I tensed, and tried to stand, only to breathe in sharply at the pain that hit me. It _wasn't _pleasant. I gasped and grunted, crying out as I hit the ground again. _Damn it... _I would ask for a hospital, but I don't have any money, and quite frankly, I don't think I have insurance in this Wonderland either.

The footsteps were really close now, and I turned onto my side, resisting the urge to cry as I landed on my bad shoulder, before finally managing to roll onto my back. I let out a heavy breath as squeezed my eyes shut. _Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow-! _I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I held them back as I tried to push myself up.

The footsteps stopped, right next to me, and I froze, terror written across my face as I slowly turned to see who it was. _Is it the gun guy? _However, as I turned my head, I saw someone else completely. In fact, I don't even know _who _I saw. He didn't have eyes. He was carrying grocery bags, and had dirty blonde hair. He wore a white-collar shirt and plain khakis.

"You have eyes..." The man said in surprise, moving over and kneeling down in front of me. I could see him examining my face as I leaned back, uncomfortable with the current situation. "Here, let me see your shoulder..." I tried my best not to flinch as the man made me remove my hand from my shoulder. He pulled down part of my jacket, and gently lifted my shirt from my skin-which was covered in blood. A sharp pain hit me as the cloth was pulled away from the wound, and I tried not to cry. "Oh, dear... Another innocent injured in the act it seems-and a mere child, too... This stupid war is injuring even the children! Here, I'll patch you up. Are you able to walk?"

Was this guy going to help me? I decided to trust him, as I didn't even know anyone here, and forcefully pushed myself onto my feet-breathing in sharply at the pain that hit me. I stumbled, and the man reached out and caught me, helping me regain my balance.

"Easy there, miss..." I wasn't too big a fan of it, as I'd rather try and walk on my own, but the man had made me sling an arm around his shoulder as he placed a hand on my waist, keeping me steady, as he held his groceries with his other arm. "This way. I have a small clinic in the nearby town."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, as we walked.

Somehow, one way or another, I found myself laying down on a small bed in what looked like an infirmary. I figured this was the clinic he was talking about. I wasn't too sure why all the eyeless people were giving me looks like I just ate their food without permission, but I wasn't really in the mood to ask. When I saw him hold up a syringe, I tensed. "Wh-What's in that?" That had better be anesthesia...

"Medicine. It'll numb the pain." I still tensed, preferring to feel the pain than not at all. "You might want to close your eyes. It'll be over soon." Yeah, right. Because I'm totally going to listen to the number one line in a _horror_ movie. I watched him tie a string around the area where he was going to stick the needle, and flinched when he stuck said needle in my skin. Normally, I don't have a problem with needles...but _damn it all _that _hurt! _

However, the pain quickly vanished, and my shoulder hardly hurt. It was just like a small pain...like someone was putting constant pressure on it. I also felt a little dizzier than usual. I was already slightly lightheaded from the bloodloss, but this was like straight-up exhaustion. I was going to pass out.

I heard clatter, and tiredly turned my gaze to see the man pick up a pair of tweezers-at least, what _looked _like tweezers. "Wha...What are you doin'?" I asked, voice slurring slightly. I tried to hold back a yawn.

"You want that bullet out of you, don't you? Close your eyes and hold still. This will only take a moment."

Despite not knowing him, or if he was trustworthy, I could already feel my eyes slipping closed despite my attempts to stay away.

I'd rather have to deal with the obnoxious idiots in my second period class than fall asleep in front of some stranger. Unfortunately, everything was already turning black...

_I found myself standing in a strange space, literally like outerspace. It kind of reminded me of Doctor Who... _

_"Doctors!?" A horrified voice exclaimed, "They'll hook you up to mechanical deathtraps! You can't listen to them!" I whirled around in alarm, staring with wide eyes at a man who was floating in midair. Yeah. **Floating. **Is that normal? "Of course it's normal for me!" And now he's reading my mind. **Greeeaaat. Just what I needed. **"No need to put on an attitude," The man huffed, crossing his arms as he regarded me with his one visible gray eye. His other was covered with an eyepatch, and he had neatly brushed silver hair that stopped just below his chin. _

_For a guy who looked like he was twenty, and possibly a decade older than me, he was rather cute. I quickly dismissed that thought though, and resorted to looking around. "Why am I in outerspace?" _

_"You're not. You're simply dreaming," The man responded, causing me to make a weird face and pout. I argued, waving my arms around as I pointed at him,  
_

_"That's not an option-ANSWER! That's not an answer!" And this is what happens when I try to think before I speak. Blegh. I start thinking when I start talking and it turns out all weird. Now I sound like Victor from Corpse Bride. "And what's your problems with Doctors?" _

_"They're evil!" _

_"They're supposed to help you and hold on a second..." I paused, realizing something was amiss. The man watched silently as I turned my head to look at my shoulder, alarmed and surprised. "Dude! Where'd it go!? I was bleeding five seconds ago-What the crap?" Where the hell did it go? _

_"You're dreaming, as I said-now watch your language! A child like you shouldn't curse!"  
_

_"How rude are you? I don't curse!" At least, I don't out loud. _

_"I can read your mind!" _

_"Nooo, I totally didn't discover that by myself when you started answering stuff I was thinking!" _

_"Are you picking a fight?" _

_"No! I-I was being sarcastic!" _

_He grinned, triumphant. "I know. I just felt like winning that argument." _

_"Argh! You're such a jerk! Who the heck are you anyway?" He smirked, and floated around slowly, causing me to have to turn around to keep an eye on him. _

_"My name is Nightmare, Alexis Reynolds, and I am an incubus." _

_"...A what?" _

_He looked startled as he stopped floating, just staying in one spot in the air. "Wh-What? You don't know what that is?" _

_I shrugged, telling him, "I know what a succubus is. They're demons who seduce you before eating you or something like that, but I'm not to sure what an incubus is." It sounded a bit like an incubator, but I don't think this guy sat on eggs all day and flashed them with lights. Ah... I paused, realizing how the end of that sentence could have sounded if I didn't phrase it the way I did. Oops. "Gyah-! Dude, are you okay!?" _

_The man suddenly fell to the ground, coughing harshly with a hand over his mouth. "I-I'm fine-!" He went into another fit, and I ran over frantically. Dude-okay, think, think, think, think! What was one supposed to do-oh! _

_I remembered what my brother used to do when I had really bad coughing fits and ended up puking because of them, and knelt down next to the man and started rubbing his back with my hand. I hope I was doing this correctly...It's either this or smack him, which I know doesn't help at all-it just makes it **worse**. People think smacking a coughing person on the back is helpful, but if they're not choking on a piece of chicken, it's useless. "H-Hey, hey, don't-don't die on me, okay?" My dreams, my rules. No dying on me, random person! _

_"M-My name is Nightmare!" He appeared to be finished coughing, but I looked at him stunned when I saw the blood trailing down his mouth and covering his hands. Did he have a lung disease or something? Tuberculosis? Wait, what other disease make you hack up blood? "I'm not diseased! I-I'm just a sickly dream demon!" _

_I opened my mouth to respond, but closed it, realizing he was telling the truth. Plus, I couldn't really argue with him. I was a sickly person too-I mean, I don't cough up blood or anything like that, but I can get sick easily; when I get sick, I get SICK. I had asthma when I was little, too, and really badly constricted lungs. I had to get surgery a few years ago just so I could breathe normally again. They never did really tell me what was truly wrong-just that I was healed and all better. Wait, sick person! "So, you're not dying?" _

_"No!" _

_"Okay...fair enough. Why don't you go to a hospital?" He looked at me as if I just suggested that he was friends with Hitler himself. Or maybe someone worse... _

_"Because! They're evil!" _

_"How so?" _

_"They poke you with needles and give you poison to drink! They hook you up to metal deathtraps!" _

_"You..." I stared at him, and he was just frowning at me with a teary eye. Actually, it looked more like he was pouting. "You are the most childish adult I have ever met." Then I burst out laughing. Okay, that was it. I couldn't take it anymore. "I-I'm so sorry! Hahahaha-I-I'm sorry!" Ow, ow, ow. My ribs were starting to hurt. How hard was I laughing!? "I-I'm so sorry, but-but-but that's just **ridiculous!** Gyahahaha!" _

_He just frowned at me childishly, declaring loudly in an attempt to defend himself, "I'm **not **childish..." I was practically crying at this point, slapping my thighs as I fell to my knees. "Stop laughing!" _

_"I-I can't! I'm-I'm sorry!" _

_"For what?" _

_"F-For laughing! Gyahahahaha!" It took a good five minutes before I was actually able to stop. I was panting, breathing heavily as I tried to regain my air. "That...Oh, god...I'm so sorry, but that was just..." I let out a sigh and wiped the tears from my eyes with the palm of my hand, still chuckling a little. "Okay...Nightmare, right? What's up?" I stood up and shoved my hands into my jacket pockets, causing the man to finally stop pouting and at least regain a bit more of his dignity. He sent me another frown. _

_"I have plenty of dignity, thank you! Just wait until you actually meet me-you'll be far more than impressed!" _

_"What, like, outside the dream? But you're a figment of my imagination. When I wake up you won't exist." That was how dreams worked, after all. If I'm dreaming right now, and Nightmare's here, that means when I wake up in the clinic he won't exist. Unless he's that weird dream-watcher person you only see in stories... Wait, Incubus? Isn't that... Horror struck me, and Nightmare ended up coughing up blood again, his face a deep red. "Oh, HELL NO! I'm fifteen buddy! Back the frick off! Go find some other sleeping woman to rape!" _

_"I-I'm not **that **kind of incubus!" He gasped, hacking. Dude, how disturbing! I wouldn't have even remembered if I didn't think back to my dad's mythology books. "What goes on in that mind of yours!?" _

_"I don't know, you tell me! You're the one with the mind-reading powers!" I then complained childishly, waving my arms around again, "It's not my fault High School corrupts your mind! I have nothing to do on the weekend except read fanfiction! If you're not careful with what your looking for, you'll stumble across some awkward stuff!" _

_He coughed blood again and I flinched, feeling guilty. That was my fault. I should just stop thinking... Which was going to be hard, since I'm always thinking... Ugh, conundrums! It's like that time when one my friends, not Sarah or Jack, but a different person, gave me the silent treatment and I thought he hated me, so I hid underneath the school bleachers and cried silently, ranting in my head about how I was such a horrible person. Best time I ever get when I'm alone-start downgrading myself. Yay. _

_"Y-You outsiders...are all very negative people." _

_"Hah? Oh, uh, I guess...?" I wasn't too sure how to respond to that. "What's the point of this dream anyway? When am I going to wake up?" _

_"Well, considering you were knocked out with anesthesia, we're going to be here a while... But the point of this dream is to tell you, basically, "Welcome to the Country of Clover". I was also going to tell you to be careful with who you approach, but I think you already learned that lesson..." _

_I almost asked him what he meant, when I remembered the crazy trigger-happy strawberry-blonde rabbit, who appeared to hate being called a rabbit. The jerk didn't even let me go! He just started shooting at me! Then again, in his defense, I did the bad thing and start running...but he was going to shoot me even if I didn't move, so I'm completely justified! I think... _

_"Are you?" _

_"Yes! My reason for being shot at is completely justified-the same way you hate Doctors!" I think. He seemed amused at that. _

_"Really?" _

_"Yes! Now stop judging me! And when the heck am I going to wake up?" _

_"Still going to be a little longer." I groaned and hung my head, running a hand through my bangs. I huffed and crossed my arms. "Alexis," I looked up at him through my bangs curiously, staring him straight in the eye. He looked serious, and even slightly mysterious, as he said, "When you awake and are released from the** clinic**," He said the word with such dislike it took a lot not to break out laughing again, "come to the Tower of Clover. You will meet some people there who can help and give you a place to stay." _

_"Why should I trust you?" I questioned, despite already knowing the answer. I already trusted this guy more than anyone else I met in this crazy world so far-but then again, I'm dreaming right now, so trust kind of comes with the package...I think. "How do I know you're not leading me to a death trap?" _

_"Because hospitals are deathtraps, and I'm offering you a place to stay during you time here in Wonderland. It's Tower of Clover or the Hatter's Mansion, and I'm sure that you don't want to get shot at again." _

_"...Touche. Wait, hold on! Don't go yet!" I called out, alarmed as he slowly started to fade. He looked at me in surprise and waited for me to continue. I said, "How am I suppose to find it? A-Am I just going to walk out and-and see a big tower with a clover on it or something? And-And are you even really real? Like, what if you **don't **__exist and-and then what? Who am I suppose to say told me to go there? What if the Tower of Clover doesn't even really exist!?" _

_He smiled, floated down, and did something I wasn't expecting. He patted my head and ruffled my hair, saying, "It'll be fine. Just ask around for directions, and when you get there, tell the servants or a man with a lizard tattoo that a man named "Nightmare" sent for you. Simple as that. If you can't ask, just listen to the sound of my voice." _

_I pouted, slumping my shoulders. "But that's not helpful at all...And why are you patting my head? Everyone's always patting my head..." _

_It was true. Jack patted my head all the time. Even my brother, and sometimes even one of my other friends, Erin, did as well. Is it because I'm short? _

_Nightmare grinned at that. "Possibly. Maybe we just like patting your head? You figure it out." Yeah. It was 'cause I'm short. He faded completely, and the space around was painted black, leaving me to awake drowsily in the clinic. _

I slowly opened my eyes, a sudden feeling of exhaustion hitting me. To my surprise,and utter horror, I wasn't wearing my T-shirt. I was just wearing my bra, and because of that, you could see the huge square bandage that was placed over my bullet-wound, with extra pieces of ace-wrap wrapping around it and chest to help put pressure on it. The jerk of a doctor could have at least left my shirt on me, or at given me my jacket! I made to wrap my arms around my chest, but let out a pained squeak and pain wracked my shoulder. I saw my shirt and jacket laying on a desk nearby, so forcing myself off of the bed, I walked over and picked up the shirt, attempting to put it on despite the excruciating pain.

The anesthesia must be wearing off, and rather quickly at that. I managed to get it through my arms and over my head, and I decided to just use my left hand to pull my shirt down. I relaxed, feeling much comfortable in clothing and covered up. I quickly grabbed my jacket and put it on as fast as I could, with some difficulty due to my aching shoulder.

Something confused me, though, and that was that I could remember my dream in clear detail-like it was a memory. I mean, normally I'm able to remember dreams easily-most parts about them didn't escape me, even the tiny details...but this was like a straight up memory. It was similar to remembering what you ate for breakfast; you remembered what it looked and tasted like, and how fast or slow you ate it. The dream was like that, and to my surprise, and I remembered the strange man's name.

Nightmare. I was supposed to find some Tower of Clover and hang out there for a while...I think. I may have heard him wrong.

"Oh, you're awake!" I turned my head to see the doctor man walk into the room, closing the door behind him. He smiled, holding a small bottle in his hand. "And you're already standing...I'm impressed. Most wouldn't even be able to get up after that. You truly _are _an outsider, aren't you?"

"Um...Maybe. That's what people have been calling me." I told him awkwardly, not trusting this man so much after he practically stripped me half-naked. I was lucky I was still wearing my pants and undergarments. Okay mind, let's not go there. "Oh, um, thanks for, you know, patching me up?" It came out as a question. "And, uh, not-not to be rude or-or anything, but, uh..."

"When can you leave?"

"Y-Yeah..."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Anytime you wish. The wound wasn't serious-you'll still be able to move your arm perfectly fine once it's fully healed, but seeing how you're an outsider, I'm not too sure how long that will take. You'll heal faster than normal here in Wonderland, but this is all I can do for you to speed up the process. Besides, I'm not going to be keeping you here; I'm not that kind of man. I'm sure you have somewhere to stay, however...?"

_"-offering you a place to stay-" _I paused, remembering Nightmare's words. Hesitant and reluctant, I asked after a moment's silence,

"H-Have you heard of the Tower of Clover? A-A man-A man named Nightmare told me to go there..."

"Nightmare!?" The man appeared alarmed and took a step back. "You know the Incubus?"

"Um, not really..."

"H-Here! Take the medicine!" The man moved forward and quickly passed me the medicine, alarmed and slightly scared of me now, as he stepped back. "The-The Tower of Clover isn't that far off! If you go South and look up you'll see it plain as day! J-Just please have him spare me!"

I was so confused. Nightmare wasn't scary... He was funny. I liked him-well, what I've seen of him anyway. He seemed like a nice adult. Most adults I know are nice. Children are rather kind too, until they start acting bratty, but it's the teenagers you always have to look out for. Most adults and children liked me. Anyway, I'm not too sure as to why he was scared of a guy like Nightmare. "Um, I don't think he's going to hurt you... He seems friendly."

"He's an _Incubus! _He'll give you nightmares beyond you wildest imaginations; he'll make you deepest fears come _true_! He'll make it to where you'll never get another good night's rest again!"

...Now I feel as though I should be scared of Nightmare. Well, we'll find out, then, won't we? "O-Okay...I-I'll keep that in mind. Um, thanks for the medicine... Do you need money or-?" I remember sticking five bucks in my wallet because of a game that the Band was going to be playing at, and I was part of the band, and during third quarter we were all able to get snacks. I was planning on getting me a yummy fresh-baked cookie, but it _seems _ a certain rabbit foiled my plans.

The man shook his head, and if he had eyes, I was certain he'd be staring at me like I was an animal. In a way, even without the eyes, it seemed he was. "N-No money needed! Just-Just please, return to your Lord Nightmare!"

_Right...Okay. I'm weirded out now. Seeing how Nightmare actually exists, I'm interrogating him later. _I cast one more glance at the scared doctor man before walking out of the clinic, ignoring the curious and slight frightened and angry stares from more...faceless. I felt like an outcast. I didn't understand why all these people were looking at me like they were, and I didn't understand what I had done to be looked at like that. Why were they whispering about me? And what were the role-holders they were talking about? I wanted to know. But most of all...

I wanted home. In the comfort of my room, where I could sit in silence and get on my laptop, reading nonstop fanfiction and manga online. Where I could listen to music and not worry about being hated by people... I wanted to be back at school and mess around with my friends.

But, there was one thing I wanted to know before all of that... Why were they so scared of Nightmare, and why didn't they have any eyes?


	2. Explanations are Key

_Wow... _So this was the Tower of Clover. It was _huge_...with so many stairs. Oh, god, am I going to have to climb up all those? Someone just-um, never mind. Already been shot. _Hm, not as funny anymore. Eh, oh well. _I took a deep breath, looking up at the giant stairs, and declared, "CHARGE!" Before attempting to run up the large set of stairs. Oddly, I was reminded of the academy in _Soul Eater_ and the huge stairs they had to walk up.

In all honesty, it took me about all day to get here to the tower. It was night time already, and has been, for the past hour or two. By the time I managed to get all the way up the stairs, I was panting and out of breath. Those stairs were _long_. I hate stairs. Stairs are evil.

Anyway, to my surprise, the tower really _did _have a clover on it, which made me laugh because it meant I was correct. I pushed the huge doors open and stared, not wanting to process all the different doors I was going to have to check if I wanted to find what I suppose too, which, I believe, happened to be Nightmare himself. I still didn't understand that doctor guy's problem with Nightmare. Yeah, he's an incubus, but he's said so himself-he's not _that _kind of incubus.

_"To the right."_

"Whoa, what? Huh?" I closed the door behind me, looking around in alarm.

_"Start walking forward, then go to the right. Take the stairs there and go up, before making a left."_

I was about ready to make a jibe about me going crazy, when I remembered my dream.

_"Follow my voice, Alexis. Go forward, and take the stairs to the right."_

"I heard you the first time!" I said, and started moving forward. Turning my head when I neared an intersection, I went right and up the stairs. "How many stairs does this place have!?"

_"Plenty. Now make a left." _I did as told and went left, walking straight. _"No, no, no, go back a few feet! Turn there!" _I made a face as I had to backtrack. _"Good! Now go left at your next right and go up those stairs." _Oh, god, more stairs? I groaned and hung my head as I tried to follow his directions, pausing to ask as I was half-way up the stairs,

"Th-These stairs, right? It was go right, then left?"

_"Yes. You're doing fine." _I let out a sigh of relief. I was horrible with directions. _"You seem to be following mine perfectly so far. Oh! Make a turn to that right and go forward, then open the door on your left."_

I stopped walking and placed my hand on the door handle, hesitant. "Wh-What's in there?" I could almost imagine the amused smirk on Nightmare's face. The jerk.

_"I'm not a jerk, I'm important. Now enter..." _How very ominous, dear sir. I couldn't help but crack a grin at that and hesitantly twist the door handle, opening it. "ALEXIS! Welcome to my room!"

"Wh-Wha-? Wait," I tried to recollect myself from my surprise and stop myself from stuttering as I cried out, "you're actually real!? I'm not hallucinating?"

"Of _course _I'm real! What kind of question is that?"

"I-I don't know; a question!?" Nightmare was grinning at me from his spot at a small couch, a really all man with dark hair and gold eyes standing next to him and holding papers. "Wh-Where am I?"

"I told you, the Tower of Clover. You're in Wonderland, Alexis."

"I-I got that much! I meant-I meant...Just, like, um...How am I supposed to get home?" Yeah. That was a good question. A _very _good question. Nightmare narrowed his eye, frowning.

"You can't." I looked at him in alarm, taking a step back. "You drank the potion, right? All of it? Where's the vial?"

"Oh, um..." I paused, trying to remember, before reaching and checking my jacket pockets. To my surprise, there was a small glass vial with a clover lid on it. It had a drop or two of liquid in it. "Here. Why?" I must have put it in there without thinking.

"That's the Potion of Clover, Alexis. Once you drink that, you can't leave Wonderland until you complete your game."

"My game?" I questioned, eyeing him weirdly. He nodded.

"Yes. Once one game is completed, another must begin. Your game is whether or not you'll leave Wonderland. Keep in mind that since everyone loves an outsider, you'll be a victim of people wanting to be either friends, or enemies." This is such a lovely conversation. Most people hate me already, so what's the big difference? "Most people here won't hate you, Alexis." I was takenaback. Not by _what _he said, but by what he said.

"Whoa! Wait, dude, you can seriously read minds even in real life!?"

"Of course! Minds so unguarded like yours are especially easy to read!"

"What's that supposed to mean, you jerk!?"

The tall man from before spoke up, saying, "Lord Nightmare, your paperwork..." Nightmare made a face. I tried not to laugh at the ridiculousness of it.

"But Gray! Can't you see I'm busy? I'm your boss, so you should respect me more!"

"But I do respect you, sir," Gray replied, and I kept turning my head to look at the one who was talking. Gray continued, "I would respect you even more if you'd _finish _your paperwork, and actually go to the hospital when needed. You have an appointment at two thirty."

"I'm not going to a hospital! I'm busy welcoming Alexis!"

Gray frowned at Nightmare, pushing the stack of papers he was holding. I blinked and asked, staring, "Wait, tall-person's working for you? What's your job?" Why do I get the feeling that he's some rich kid...?

Nightmare grinned at me and extended his arms out, gesturing to everything around him, as he said, "I'm the _Lord _of the Tower of Clover. And Gray here is my subordinate!" He then struck a pose, placing a hand on his chin while crossing his one arm over his chest, smirking. "Impressive, right?"

I stared at him blankly. How was that supposed to be impressive...? It just meant that he had loads and loads of paperwork to do in order to make sure things didn't go out of control. Rather than impressive, it was more bothersome, and to have to do that much paperwork... "I feel so, so sorry for you."

"What, why!?"

"Because! All that paperwork! That's as bad as math homework!" Tears welled up in Nightmare's one visible eye as he stared at me, before crying out as he waved a finger at me dramatically,

"See, Gray! Even she doesn't like paperwork! Why do I have to do it!?"

"Because it's your _job_, Lord Nightmare! You'd be free from all this if you didn't go and escape into dreams all the time!" Nightmare huffed and sat back down, crossing his arms and turning his head. He was pouting.

"You're just jealous of my powers."

Gray had an annoyed smile on his face as he looked down at Nightmare, saying, "Yes, yes, very jealous. Now, if you'd just finish this paperwork, I'd be even more jealous of your ability to do work diligently!"

"No! Stop shielding your mind; I can't read it when you do that!"

"I will if you do your paperwork and go to your scheduled appointment."

"I refuse!" What am I even watching anymore? Actually, scratch that, this reminds me of the time when Jack, Sarah, and Erin where trying to convince me to get off my lazy ass and actually get lunch. I kept saying things similar to Nightmare, like, _I refuse! I refuse, I refuse, I refuse! _and _But I'm so lazy! I don't wanna! _and I was also reminded of the time when Sarah had to force me to go to the Nurse's Office because of a time when I was really sick, and nearly passed out trying to get my saxophone out of its case. I didn't want help. I didn't want to miss class and go to the Nurse's Office; all they would do is have me sleep for ten minutes before sending me back to class anyway. She literally had to grab my wrist and drag me up there.

..._I wonder if Nightmare or Gray would notice if I left? _I thought curiously, watching them fire arguments back-and-forth. Taking a step back, I slowly reached a hand out to the doorknob, attempting to be ninja, but was stopped as Nightmare quit arguing with Gray to point a finger at me.

"No leaving! I'm not done talking to you yet!"

"Awww! But I don't want lectured!"

"You're not getting lectured. You're being informed. Gray?"

"Already on it." I watched Gray move towards one of the bookshelves and pull out a small scroll, before moving back over and handing it to Nightmare. Nightmare opened it and placed it on the table. I walked over to get a better look at it.

"You can sit down, Alexis," Nightmare told me, looking down at me in confusion. I felt my face flush with embarrassment.

"R-Right. I knew that." I quickly, and hesitantly, took a seat on one of the small couches surrounding the round coffee table. I looked down at the scroll, and was surprised to see that it was actually a map. "Is that Wonderland?"

"A part of it," Nightmare said, holding the map open with one hand. "This is merely one of the countries here in Wonderland; Clover." This is going to go by cards, isn't it? And all the different suits? Nightmare lifted his head and looked at me confused for a moment, before nodding. "Yes. There's also the Country of Hearts, Diamond, and Spade. Here is where we are currently," He pointed to the giant building in the middle of the map. He then slowly moved his finger over to a big mansion-like building, saying, "And _this _is the Hatter's Mansion; the place where you encountered the March Hare and gained that injury of yours. A man named Blood Dupre lives there, along with his other two subordinates called _The Bloody Twins_. They are part of the Mafia." Somehow, the fact that they were Mafia didn't surprise me, but it still made my eyes widen.

Slowly, I raised my left hand up and pressed it gently against my wound, resisting the urge to wince. So the_ mafia_ did this to me. Well, they're nice. Remind me to avoid them in the future. I quite like living, thank you.

Wait...Oh, crap! I forgot to take the medicine the doctor dude gave me! _...What if it tastes like cherry cough syrup, though?_ Gross...Ugh,_ but I'm going to have to drink it anyway. I'll do it after this explanation. _

Nightmare made a face at my thoughts of drinking medicine, and continued, pointing at a giant castle that was sitting atop a hill really far away from the Clover Tower. "This is the Hearts Castle, where the Queen of Hearts resides. I suggest that when you're better, you greet her soon as possible in order to prevent yourself from getting beheaded." Oh, great. Looks like all Red Queens are the same. Fun. Let's hope this isn't Tim Burton's version, though... "A man named Peter White, the White Rabbit, lives there. He's the Prime Minister. Here," He gestured to all the green surrounding the entire land and buildings, " is the forest of doors. If you hear them speak to you, urging you to open them, block your mind and clear your thoughts; ignore them completely." I frowned.

"Why, what happens if I open them?"

Nightmare was silent for a moment, before ignoring the question and saying, "And _these _are the towns. You can find shops, libraries, and anything you need there."

"What happens if I open a door?" I was going to keep asking until he told me. Nightmare sighed and said,

"They take you to the place you want to go to most, but only the Cheshire Cat can control them and where lead too." Oh...

"So, in other words, if I-If I wanted to go through them I'd need the Cheshire Cat with me?" Nightmare paused, thinking about my words, before saying,

"Sure." I frowned again. Now I was tempted to open a door and go through, just to see where it would lead. "Don't. Just ignore them, Alexis. Stay away from the Knave of Hearts, though. He's dangerous."

Dangerous... "Like the March Hare?"

"Worse. Just avoid him if you're able too."

I nodded, trying to memorize that. "What's he look like?"

"Red coat and eyes, with brown hair. Wields a sword." I opened my mouth to respond, but was cut off by Gray placing two mugs on the table.

"I brought refreshments, Lord Nightmare, Alexis."

"Coffee!" Nightmare cheered, latching onto the warm mug with both hands and lifting it up to his mouth.

"Careful, it's hot." Gray warned, hovering over Nightmare. He then turned around and moved over to me, causing me to look up at him uncomfortably in confusion. "I suggest you wait a few minutes before trying to drink it, Alexis."

"O-Okay..." I don't even like coffee... but I felt like I should drink it anyway. Oh, crap, is he actually one of those people I can tell right away you don't want to make upset because then you'll feel so freaking guilty about it later and just want to hug them if they look sad or about to cry?

...I can generally tell who was that kind of person just by looking at someone...also, I don't want to be rude.

"Um, thank you?" I finished, furrowing my eyebrows as it came out like a question. To my surprise, Gray smiled and reached over, patting my head. I blinked, confused as to why he did that, and watched as he pulled his hand away.

"Your welcome."

Nightmare started to complain again, "How come I don't get special treatment?" Gray frowned and stood up straight immediately, saying,

"Because you don't do the work your supposed to."

"You're so mean to me!"

...It's like watching myself argue with Jack...Only older, and I was a guy with silver hair...and _damn it all _Jack was _still_ taller than me in my comparison of us being Nightmare and Gray! Gray was around six-foot-two while Nightmare was five-foot-ten.

"Need I take away your coffee-breaks, Lord Nightmare?"

"No!" Nightmare crawled up into a ball on the couch, holding his coffee protectively close to his chest, as he scooted away from Gray. "Don't! I'll do the paperwork later!"

It was really difficult trying not to laugh. Nightmare looked at me out of the corner of his eye and pouted, saying, "I'm glad you're finding this amusing..." I couldn't help it. I laughed. "Stop that! No laughing!"

"T-Too bad!" If I was going to laugh, I was going to laugh. I was tired of holding it in in this world. "You guys are freaking ridiculous! Give me one-_one_ reason why I shouldn't laugh?"

"B-because! It's mean to laugh at others!" I leaned forward and grinned at the man sitting on the couch at the opposite end of the table.

"Really? Then I'm a very mean person, then. 'Cause I'm never _not _laughing." It was true. Back in my world, I was always smiling and laughing and acting like the biggest goofball you'd ever know. But here...I didn't feel comfortable enough to smile and grin and laugh freely. Now, however... I felt perfectly fine. I felt _me _again.

I ignored the pain in my shoulder as I sat back up straight and reached out with my right hand to grab the mug of coffee, resisting the urge to cry out in pain as my shoulder tugged painfully at the extra weight. Lifting the mug up to my lips, I braced myself for the terrible taste of coffee. However, I tasted something entirely different, and the taste caused me to freeze.

Nightmare and Gray looked at me curiously, and watched as they saw me gulp down the drink in thirty seconds flat. Nightmare asked, slightly amused and partially stunned, "Was it that good?"

"Dude, that was the best hot chocolate I've ever had!" I didn't think hot chocolate would taste this good without marshmallows, but this...this was the freaking definition of "beautiful". I looked up to Gray with wide, awed eyes. "You made this?" He nodded, a smile on his face. "Dude, you are amazing!"

"Thank you, Alexis. I'm glad you like the drink."

"Like it? I freaking loved it!" And now I'm kinda sad that I downed it all...Shame on me. I then jumped a little, remembering something as I placed the mug carefully back on the table. "Oh, Nightmare! I have a question!"

He looked surprised at my change in attitude, but smiled. "What is it?"

"Why are so many people missing eyes? And how come you have them while they don't?"

"Simple. Because I have a "role"." I frowned, not understanding what that was supposed to mean. He explained, "There are two types of people in this world, Alexis. There are the role-holders, people with eyes and roles, and the faceless-those without eyes and roles."

"...That's demented. Wait! Then why were they glaring at me? And why was that doctor guy so scared of you?"

"Because most faceless hate us role-holders and the importance of the roles we hold. Some faceless in particular may hate certain role-holders for personal reasons. As to why _I'm _feared..." He narrowed his one visible eye at me, sitting up and leaning over as he rested his chin against his laced fingers. "I'm an Incubus. A dream demon such as myself, as _powerful _as myself, can give you nightmares that even you would never be able to think of." I could feel a small twinge of fear as I resisted the urge to shiver, feeling a cold chill go down my spine. Okay, note to self...Don't make Nightmare angry. "Ah! Yes, right, now I remember! Gray, can you show Alexis to the room she'll be staying in while she's here?"

...And that was basically the story of how I ended up living at the Tower of Clover...

"Y-You sure it's alright for me to stay here?" I asked Gray, looking up at the really tall man as we neared the room I was going to be sleeping in. "I-I'm not intruding or anything, right?"

"It is perfectly fine for you to stay here, Alexis." We stopped at the door and I closed my eyes out of reflex when he placed his hand on my head. _Why does everyone keep patting my head? Jeez...I know I'm short for being a teenager, but still... _I didn't _hate _having my head pat. I actually quite liked it. I just didn't understand why people did it. Jack patted me on the head all the time, and Erin did too occasionally when he and Jack were making fun of me as I started to pout and complain and call them jerks. They always patted me on the head and went,

_"Aww, it's okay! It's okay!" _In really weird baby voices. Made me want to slap them...mentally, of course. Unless I was punching them repeatedly in the arm. That was fun, too.

"O-Okay..." I replied to Gray, and entered the room.

"This is one of the hotel rooms here in the Tower of Clover. You don't have to pay, as it is entirely free during your stay here."

"H-Huh? Wait, seriously? I-I don't have to pay? Are you sure? I got, like, five bucks with me that I can give Nightmare-"

"It's fine." How was it _fine? _This looked more like a rich kid's room you'd find in _Sims4 _after building a house than a hotel room! Hotel rooms are small! At least, the ones _I've_ been in. This room was _huge_, had a big bed, a table with chairs, another table, a dresser, a wardrobe in the far corner with, probably, a built in mirror, and a couch-and there were _bookshelves_! This was _not _a hotel room. Oh, yeah, did I mention the small table in the corner with a vase of pretty flowers? No? Well it _had one! _With a cloth! How fancy was this place? "This is one of cheaper ones, and Lord Nightmare seems to think of you as a comrade, so you do not need to pay. Also, considering as you're a foreigner, and a mere child, you have no Wonderland currency in the first place."

I was about to argue with him that I _wasn't _a child, and that I was fifteen, but the kind smile he gave me made me bite my tongue. For some reason, I just _really _didn't want to make this person upset. Hm...everyone has that _one person _that you don't want to make upset. Maybe Gray's mine? Great! Now all I need to do is find my "soul mate"! Haha, yeah, right, like that's gonna happen. No one would ever love someone like me, nonetheless like.

..._Woooow_, Nightmare was right. I _am _a very negative person. Huh. Interesting.

"Wait six time periods. I'll return for you and we can go shopping for some attire. While we are out, we'll need to go grocery shopping for Lord Nightmare."

_Aaaand _now I'm lost. "Six time periods?" Did he mean six days or six hours?

He looked mildly surprised, before explaining patiently, "Time runs differently in Wonderland. It can go from morning to night, and night to evening here. It's never in order and is always random. We call these time periods."

"Oh! Okay, that makes sense...I think."


	3. Cooking Lessons

Should I...? No. Okay, screw it-_No! _Gah! I was pacing outside the door to Nightmare's room, trying not to freak out and decide if I should ask him where the kitchen was or not. My hand gravitated over the doorknob before I pulled it away, holding it to my chest and scowling. _God, damn it, why do I fail so badly at making decision!? It's just a simple question! _I can just be like, _Hey, Nightmare! How's it going? Know where the kitchen is? _but then he'll be all, _Kitchen? In MY tower!? What treachery is this!? Gray, kill the little girl! _and then Gray would go all Hulk on me while I'm screaming and running for my life.

_Buuuut_, Nightmare could also be all, _Oh, that's okay. It's over in that direction. _Everything would be okay. But no! I fail at opening a stupid door and asking a question!

It's not even my house, so what right would I have to use the kitchen? It's not like I can just go out to the town and head over to a Wendy's or McDonald's and eat there. I have no Wonderland currency. This practically makes my five bucks useless.

A voice called out, causing me to jump and stumble backwards, "How long are you going to stand there, Alexis? Come inside." I visibly flinched, cringing at my inability to keep my thoughts, and myself in general, quiet. Reluctantly opening the door, I peered into the room to see Nightmare at his desk with a half-empty cup of coffee, looking bored out of his mind as he sat there writing with a pen on multiple documents. "You have something to ask me?"

"Oh, um, that's...uh...Well," Crap. Not going to ask! It's rude! Rude, rude, rude, rude, rude! It's completely rude to eat at another person's place! "That's-You see...I was-I was just going to see if I could hang out with you or Gray for a while, but I didn't know if you guys were busy, or, uh...yeah. That." I swallowed, feeling incredibly awkward and stupid. Nightmare looked amused.

"If you're hungry, you _can _use the kitchen. There's plenty of food." He then paused, and looked slightly hopeful as he asked, "Do you know how to cook?"

I looked surprised. I stopped fiddling with my fingers and shoved my hands into my pockets, saying, "Uh, a little bit. I can make simple things; mainly cheesy foods, though. Oh, and white rice. And pancakes."

Nightmare looked confused, but smiled anyway, saying, "Then can you make me something, _pleeeease?_ If Gray finds out I'm hungry, he'll make me eat his cooking!"

I tilted my head confused and asked, "Is he bad at cooking or something?" I watched in confusion, but slight amusement, as Nightmare made a sour face, stress lines forming down it.

"You...have no idea..." Remind me to keep Gray out of the kitchen at all costs. Trying to think of foods that he might like, I asked,

"Do you like macaroni?" His look of confusion formed on his pale face again.

"What? What's that?" I gaped, horrified as I stared at him.

"You...You never..." My eyes watered as I sniffled, staring at him pityingly. "You poor thing!"

"H-Hey! I'm not poor! I'm impressive! I just never heard of macaroni before!"

I placed a hand against my face and another against my hip, shaking my head. "You...This is going to be a _loong _day. You haven't _lived _until you had macaroni. Have you at least had grilled cheese before? Or cheesy eggs?" He just stared at me before slowly shaking his head. "Please excuse me while a bang my head off a wall." I moved to a wall and made a motion that looked like I was about to slam my head against it, but stopped at the last moment and laughed. I turned my head to look at Nightmare, asking, "Do you have any uncooked noodles then? Oh..."

_How is one supposed to make cheesy ranch chicken again? _I forgot. Wait! Do I still have my phone? I dug around my pockets furiously, trying to find my Iphone. What I saw made me freeze, frozen to the spot.

_Where are u? Alexis? Jack and I haven't seen u since lunch. :-( Where'd u go? School's almost over. U never skip class._

It was from Sarah. I looked at the time on my phone and saw that it was one forty-five. She texted me just ten minutes ago. Looking up to Nightmare, who frowned at me, said stammering, gesturing lamely towards the door, "I-I'll-I'll be in the kitchen..."

Nightmare didn't say anything about how pale I looked, or worried, and merely gave me directions to the kitchen. Once I got in the kitchen, I quickly texted her back, _It wasn't by choice! I-I don't know what happened- _I paused in my typing, realizing how crazy I was going to sound. I quickly erased what I typed and thought of what to say. I settled with the truth. _I found a rabbit. It thought it was cute, and highly random, so I followed it. It transformed into a person and grabbed me while I was unconscious, having passed out in the bathroom, and jumped into a huge hole in the ground. It was weird. I'm now living with a man named Nightmare, who happens to be Incubus btw, and a really tall dude named Gray. They're friendly. Remind me of how Jack and I argue. _Despite knowing how weird that sounded, I sent it to her anyway. Looking around for evidence, I put on the camera and snapped a picture of the kitchen, with me grinning in the background, and sent it to her.

Then I texted my Dad and asked how to make cheesy ranch chicken, causing him to ask me why I needed to know, before giving the directions. Okay, so I needed multiple boneless and skinless chicken breasts, ranch, flour, and cheddar cheese... Did Nightmare even have all that stuff?

_"Check the fridge and cabinets." _ I did as told, running around the room like crazy as I grabbed everything that I needed and set them on the counter. Two cups, tablespoons, and a glass baking dish. Luckily, and somehow coincidentally, they _did _have the chicken. I paused, wondering if Gray would want some too. Maybe I should try and make extra... Oh, god, but I'm really bad with directions...What if I ended up burning them?

...Again, Nightmare was right. I _am _a negative person. Ha! I laughed at myself before forcing myself to relax, looking at the directions on my phone multiple times to triple check that I was doing everything correctly. I mixed the ranch dressing and the flour together before coating the all the pieces of chicken in them. This took about ten to fifteen minutes for me to do. When I was done, I removed the chicken from the plate and into the baking dish, before, checking again to see that I was doing this right, spreading the cheese over the chicken.

"Alexis, what are you doing?" I turned my head in alarm to see Gray standing there, an exhausted and sweating Nightmare next to him. Nightmare looked as though he had ran all the way here, and being sickly didn't help him at all. "Here, I can take over. Why don't you wait with Nightmare until I'm done?" Gray started to walk over with a kind smile, and I almost said he could. _Almost. _And I would have stepped aside, if I didn't remember what Nightmare _said_.

"No." He looked surprised.

"I'm sorry?"

"I wanna cook!" I complained, waving my arms out to my side-revealing my powdery hands and jeans. I _may _have spilled a little flour here and there... "I got the directions, you guys are lettin' me stay here, so I wanna cook! Besides, Nightmare already said I could!" I pointed at the sick-looking man in question, causing Gray to turn his head to look at his boss. Nightmare looked up in surprise.

Seeing his piercing gaze, Nightmare stammered, "She-She insisted! I told her that if she wanted to, she could! I wasn't going to force her!"

"See! See! Besides, I'm almost done anyway! So shoo! My kitchen-Er, Nightmare's kitchen, his rules, but I'm cooking in it, so you have to do what the chef says! Shoo! Before I throw flour at your face!"

Gray tried again, "Are you absolutely certain-"

"Yes! Now shoo! I'm a girl, and a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! Now shoo!" Wow. I haven't used that quote since I was, like, eleven. "You can come back in when I say so, got it? Nightmare, go do you work!"

"B-But, I don't wanna~! I even came all this way to try and make Gray stay out of the kitchen for you!"

"I don't care! I'm making you food. Shoo!" Nightmare continued to protest, but Gray had picked him up by the collar and started to drag him away, leaving the silver-haired demon sputtering. I laughed loudly. I then jumped, startled, remembering what I was going to do. _Okay... _"I-I spread the cheese, I put it in the pan...Now what?"

Bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes. Okay...I'll pretend I remember how to use the-Oh! Never mind! I remember now!

I did as the directions said and stuck it in the oven, putting it to the correct time and heat. Now, all I had to do was wait...

I decided to make buttered noodles to go with it, as when you mix them and the cheese sauce it tasted _delicious_, and did that as it cooked. Then I moved onto the mashed potatoes and corn...

Somehow, I ended up going all out. The kitchen had _everything _ I needed, though I was sure I was practically emptying the cabinets by this point. By the time I was done, I was left sitting at the table with five minutes left on the timer.

I jumped in fright when the alarm suddenly went off. I quickly grabbed the oven mitts and ran over, opening it. To my relief, it look exactly like it was supposed to. Now, if it _tasted _the same...then I'd be happy. I tried to take it out without burning myself, and nearly cried when my shoulder wound tugged painfully. I've been ignoring it and the small pain it caused me, as when I took the medicine the pain mostly subsided, but now it _hurt_. I refused to keel over and drop the food, though, and instead moved over to place the dish on the counter on a rag. I turned around to look at the table and heaved a huge sigh.

I wondered if this was how my brother used to feel when he had to cook for Dad and I all the time. When he moved, Dad started cooking. He was really bad at first, but got better. He soon became really good. I kinda wished I'd be that good at cooking, but a person can only go so far until they reach their limit. I was kinda testing myself right now, as I never made this much food at once before.

I gave each of us two pieces of chicken, as I didn't know how much they would eat, and gave them a little bit of mashed potatoes and corn, with some of the butter noodles. If they liked it and were still hungry, they could go for seconds.

Suddenly, the door to the kitchen burst open just as I placed Gray's and Nightmare's plates on the table. "FOOOD!"

_Oh, god, is that what I sound like when Dad announces dinner is done!? _I didn't know whether to laugh or be horrified at myself as Nightmare ran into the room, again, with Gray trying to catch him.

"Lord Nightmare, please, calm yourself!" Nightmare paused and stopped running, staring at the plates at the table. I watched him turn his head and looked down at me before pointing at the table, asking bluntly,

"Which one's mine?"

"Uh...Doesn't matter." Nightmare practically _launched _himself at the table, grabbing a plate and fork and stabbing a piece of chicken with it. I tensed, wondering how bad it was going to taste or not. I wasn't even able to try it myself yet. He stared at it inquisitively for a moment before biting into it. "W-Well...how is it?"

His eyes lit up in surprise, a smile crossing his face. "It's good!" He bit into the chicken again, this time a little more greedily.

"Uh, Gray? What about you?"

"It's very delicious, Alexis." I felt incredibly happy at that moment. It was one of those moments when I felt truly happy and accomplished; something that rarely happened. I was someone who just went with the flow and dealt with what was thrown at me, just living every day, but not truly being alive. I think that was how most people were...not doing anything with their life.

"R-Really!? A, B, C, or D? Or an F?"

"I'd say an A."

Nightmare looked reluctant to say anything, before admitting, "A... B-But that's because I never had this kind of food before, so I don't know if this is how it's really supposed to taste!"

I placed my hands on my hip and raised my head, grinning egotistically. "You're just jealous of my mad cooking skills."

Gray sighed, placing his fork down on his plate. "Another child..."

"I'm proud of it! But I'm not a kid! I'm a teenager!" Gray looked at me with a confused expression. I blinked and stared at him. "How old do you think I am?"

"Twelve." I nearly fell over. Standing up straight, I exclaimed,

"I'm fifteen!" Gray looked stunned. I laughed at his reaction. "Yeah. I'm a High Schooler." Freshman, maybe, but High schooler, yes.

Soon, I found myself eating at the table quietly next to Nightmare and Gray. I felt awkward eating around new people.

... "Can you cook again next time?"

"...Hah?" I stared at Nightmare in confusion, my fork dangling in my mouth. I chewed and swallowed, asking him, "Like what?" What did he want me cook?

"Anything that's good and edible. Preferably some more foreigner food!"

I was surprised-stunned, even. I didn't think he'd like my cooking so much. Even after his rating of the dish, I was still doubtful. I still wondered how I was even able to cook all I had properly...and in just half an hour, too! Wow...I'm actually a little proud of myself now. I couldn't help the grin that slipped onto my face, and I had to smile widely at Nightmare and say, "I might. I can just keep texting my Dad on how to make things."

Nightmare looked slightly surprised at that, and asked, "Your dad? You're able to contact him?"

"Uh, yeah. And-And hey! Sarah finally replied back!" I pulled out my Iphone and opened up my messages, almost wincing at her reply.

_Don't play games with me, Alexis! Where are you, really? _

I made a face and clicked on the camera, holding it up to Nightmare, and said, "Say cheese!" He wasn't even able to respond before I took the picture. I did the same with Gray, who actually smiled for me. "Proof!" I said as I typed, sending her the pictures and the message together. "I-am not-insane. Nightmare and Gray-are real-and I just-happen to be-in another world. Done." I grinned cheekily and held my messages for the two surprised adults to see. "Phones! I can text people! And call, if I wanted, but I'm still not too sure how that one works."

"You can...contact them?" Nightmare repeated, frowning. "What kind of device is that?"

"A cellphone."

Gray spoke next, "A phone without a cord? I didn't think that they were invented just yet."

"Huh. Almost everyone I know back in my world has one."

"Is that so?" Gray asked. I nodded.

"Yup. I didn't get mine until recently, though, but that was only 'cause I kept getting lost during field trips and whatnot for school and band." I laughed. Gray and Nightmare looked at each other.

"You did mention you were directionally-challenged..." Nightmare trailed off, stress lines forming on his face. He then forced his face and shoulders to relax. He took another bite of his food.

"But," Gray started, looking at me, "as long as you do not turn into a blundering fool like that knave of hearts, then we need not worry."

"Gray~!" Nightmare called, sing-songing with a smile, "Can you get me some water, please?"

"Of course, Lord Nightmare." I watched in surprise as Gray stood up and pushed his chair in, moving over to one of the cabinets and grabbing a cup, before moving to the sink and filling it up with cold water. Huh. I still can't tell if he's a butler or not.

"He's not my butler. He's my subordinate."

"Stop that!" I ordered, complaining about him reading my mind. Nightmare grinned at me.

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

Gray interrupted, placing the cup in front of Nightmare and next to his plate of food, "Your refreshment, Lord Nightmare?"

"Oh! Thank you!"

...If I was forced to stay here, then I _think _ I could at least like it here. It was amusing, and seemed to prevent me from getting bored. 'Cause if what Peter-or was it Jasper?- said was true, then drinking that potion meant I had to stay here for a while.

"Oh...I don't think I even fully explained it to you, did I? What the potion you drank does?" Nightmare said, frowning. I blinked and looked up at him. I shrugged.

"I know that it's keeping me here, or something like that..."

"Correct. The Potion of Clover is what's keeping you here, until you beat the game."

I looked at him, getting a sudden burst of adrenaline as I remembered something that Peter-fairly certain it was Peter-told me. "Yeah! That one dude said that once I drank the potion, I'd be able to go to Wonderland with him, and something about playing some game! What game? Is it a card game?"

Nightmare smiled wryly, saying, "In a sense. But this game you have to play... I haven't told you this yet, but "Everyone loves an Outsider". This is a key part in the game, Alexis." I set my fork on my plate, lacing my fingers together on my lap as I realized this was going to be a long explanation. Nightmare nodded at me, showing that I was right. "Whether it be _love_, a sibling kind of love, a friend love, or the love one holds for their enemy...You _will _be loved because you drank that potion, because you're an outsider, and because you are now residing in Wonderland and playing this game. Only when that vial you have is filled," I blinked, realizing he was talking about the thing the liquid came in, "can you make the decision to return home."

"Wait...I'm confused. Are people going to love me or are they going to hate me?"

"Both. It depends on the type of "love" we're talking about. It's the same with Alice; however, most of the people here love her."

"That's...demented." Nightmare looked surprised, and Gray started packing up the dishes since no one was eating anything else for the time being. He also started to put the leftovers in containers. "Why would you force people to love you? That's just not right."

"They're not going to fall for you right away," Nightmare cleared up, still causing me to frown. "It'll take time. Whether they become your friend, or like a sibling, or something else, is entirely up to you and the choices you make; whether you wish to clear the game or not. Are you going to go home, Alexis, or are you going to chose someone and stay here? That's what you need to figure out as you interact with the people of this world and fill that vial up with liquid. When it's full, and if you choose to go home, you have to drink it and chose a role holder to bring you back to your world. You'll have to pick carefully, though, as choosing the wrong one could be fatal. Understood?"

"Uh, yeah, I think..." So, basically, if I beat this game, I just have to chose a role-holder to take me back home? That's easy, then! I'll just have Nightmare take me back home if I win. "So...Question. How many time-periods has it been?"

Gray paused in his doing the dishes-when did he starts those?-and said, "Five. Once I make sure Lord Nightmare is doing his paperwork _properly_, then we can go shopping. Is that alright with you, Alexis?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, sure...but, uh..." I didn't feel very good with the fact that they were going to waste money on me. I mean, yeah I don't have any Wonderland money, and yeah, even if I wanted I couldn't buy myself clothes because I'm broke, but it... Them buying things for me was...uncomfortable in the least. I'm stingy with money in general, and...I just don't like it. I'm grateful and everything, but I just...don't like it. It wasn't fair. I didn't even do anything for them to do all this for me. I'm... I'm a bad person. Making them waste money like this... "You-You sure?"

"It's perfectly fine, Alexis." Gray assured, though I still wasn't convinced. They were doing too much for me.

Nightmare spoke this time, a small yet comforting smile on his face. "You don't have to worry about us wasting money, Alexis. Clothes are a basic necessity. We don't want you running around Wonderland in the same clothes every single day, now do we?" I opened my mouth to make a retort about me just, possibly, stealing their clothes, but cut myself off. How weird would that be to say to people you've just met?

I had a brief memory of when I kept stealing _both _my brother and my dad's clothes. Mainly their shirts though, as their pants would _not _fit me. They were quite a bit taller than me. Everyone's taller than me...Well, except for the uncommon few in my school. Nightmare appeared a little amused, and Gray just kept doing the dishes.

"I don't think you'll have to resort to such methods unless you truly need, and/or want too." He looked _really _amused. I felt a little embarrassed, and grinned sheepishly. "Besides, to finish what I was saying, we have plenty of money. Buying you clothes wouldn't be considered "wasting", as you really do need them. Besides, we still need groceries!" He clapped his hands together, grinning. His gray eye sparked mischievously. "We'll be killing two birds with one stone!"

Figuratively, I hope. I laughed at my thoughts, but was still a little uneasy. "Sure, I guess..."

"Ah, I see. Alexis, are you done with your plate?" Gray said, causing me to look up at him in alarm. Seeing there was quite a bit of food still on my plate, I quickly shoved it all into my mouth-only to receive a scolding from Gray himself. He quickly moved over and held a hand under my chin, plucking the fork out of my right hand and exclaiming, "Don't do that! You can choke! Unlike us, once you die you die! You won't be replaced. Stop being so reckless; chew slowly and swallow small pieces!" I was wide-eyed the entire time as I chewed, not expecting Gray to be so...motherly. I mean, I never _knew _my mother; she died when I was little. Gray however, was acting how I expected a mom to act...

Swallowing a small bit, I continued to chew and swallow, repeating the process several times until my cheeks weren't as bulged and there was no food left. Gray observed me for a moment, tilting my head back-and-forth and left-to-right, before releasing me satisfied.

"Now, eat the rest of your food normally. No stuffing your mouth full. You can kill yourself that way."

If I killed myself, a lot of people would probably be happy about the fact that my annoying self didn't exist any longer. I missed Nightmare's frown as my phone vibrated in my pocket, causing me to jump and pull it out in alarm.

_Okay... U got me. You're in another world. when are you coming back _

I frowned, feeling a twinge of sadness hit me at the question. Did...she really care? Did she want me back at the school? Or is she asking so she knows how happy she can be until the day of "reckoning" when I come back? _I...don't know. Until I beat some game. I have to fill a vial up somehow and NOT get shot at. I have a bullet wound in my shoulder! Hurts like crap. _

I wasn't expecting an instant reply. Sarah was usually a lazy texter, but she responded almost immediately, saying: _what? You got shot? what happened? _

_Running around trying to figure out where I was and got shot by a crazy mafia dude. _

I hit send and stuck my phone back in my pocket, sighing dramatically as I slowly started to finish my food, wanting to avoid getting lectured by Gray again. I blinked the tears that were forming in my eyes away, both pained from the fact that I was "yelled" at and lectured, and the fact that it might be awhile before I see the people I cared about again.

...I didn't like being yelled at. It made me feel stupid. Pathetic. Worthless. Like I did something fatally wrong and I was going to get killed because of it. It...I disappointed the other person. That...hurt more than you would think. I liked to avoid trouble.

* * *

Shopping was _really _weird. Gray ended up being surrounded by stray cats and carrying most of the bags-though I said I could hold them. Thankfully I managed to convince Gray to just get me boy clothes-since they had little girl clothes that involved black, pants, and shorts. Unfortunately, Gray _did _buy me one dress-_one _dress. It was...actually rather cute. Oddly, it reminded me of a goth lolita-not that I minded of course. It was a plain black cotton dress with shoulder straps, as it was sleeveless, with silver ruffles at the bottom and the top. He got me a pair of boots to go with it. :)

Anyway, most of clothes consisted of black, brown, blue, green, and red-with the occasional white and purple. It was mainly black, though. I still feel a bit like a jerk, though, as they were wasting money on me. The shopkeeper lady eyed me like I was a curse to humanity, making this sour face as she stared at me, like she was thinking, _"Ugh! Vile little girl; hasn't anyone taught this child not to wear men's clothing?" _so, I did the normal thing and grinned and waved at her. It was actually rather weird since the lady didn't have eyes. It was very similar to that one time an old lady glared at me from a McDonald's window because I was wearing a bowtie and a fedora, along with red suspenders and a white-button up collar.

Hm... Ah! I jumped when a felt something climbing up my back and onto my shoulder, nuzzling my neck. I froze, should tensing as I resisted the urge to cringe, my neck being a rather sensitive, and ticklish, spot. "What's touching me, what's touching me, what's touching me, what's touching me-"

"It's a kitten..." Gray said, his face slightly red as he pet the kittens surrounding him. He had a smile on his face as we walked. "Aren't they so cute?" I tried not to laugh and pressed my lips into a thin line as the kitten started to lick my face, nosing my mouth and chin. _Awww! _So cute.

"What's Nightmare going to say when he sees you like this?" I asked amused, the black kitten climbing atop my head and resting it's paws in front of my forehead. It was taking all my willpower not to bust out laughing.

"Hm? Lord Nightmare usually lets us keep the kittens." My eyes widened.

"Seriously?" Oh, god, the tower was going to smell of cat farts. I grinned, however, as my dad's house was filled with cats and dogs alike. Three cats, five dogs. "Wow. Okay, then. Well...I'm going to name you..." I looked at the kitten above my head with a grin. "Amber." He had orange-brown eyes. The color of amber. I thought it fit. I then flinched as it started to paw at my earrings. "Ow, ow, ow! Okay, you're cute and all, but stop that! Bad kitty!" It meowed...and it was the cutest thing _ever_. Awwwwww!

Nightmare had better let us keep these cats.

I let out a yawn, tired, as we walked. "How long until we make it to the Tower?"

"Oh, we still have to get the groceries, Alexis. But, if you wish, you can head back on your own, though I don't suggest it safe."

I blinked up at the six-foot-tall man, debating whether or not I should just stay with him or go back and bug Nightmare.

Hm...spend time with Gray, or annoy Nightmare with my weird thoughts?

Tough choice.

"LUNCH!" I turned my head in confusion at the scream, only to let out a scream myself when I was suddenly barreled into.

"H-Help _meeeeee!_" I couldn't help but cry out at the pain that wracked my right shoulder, the wound from the bullet being roughly treated. I opened my eyes and barely got a glimpse of red hair and bright green, before the person who was on top of me lifted themselves up-still on me, but not crushing me. The person looked surprised and I, seeing how the person' face was right up in mine, leaned my head back as I stared at the boy in front of me awkwardly.

He looked older than me-maybe by a year or two, with red hair that covered his right eye, a thick part of his bangs colored yellow. He had forest-colored eyes, which was quite different from my own pale green, and tan skin. He wore a black hat on the right side of his head. He was cute. However, I was taken aback when the boy leaned forward and sniffed my face, commenting, "You smell different..." His only visible eye opened and he stared at me with a smile, "You're a foreigner?" I then noticed the big brown mouse ear on the visible side of his head. My eyes trailed down to the side of his head, seeing no human ear.

I paused before answering, confused, "Um, yeah..." I said in a voice that made it sound like I was stating the obvious. I felt bad at how mean I sounded.

Suddenly the boy was lifted off of me, Gray having picked him up by his jacket color. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't put Alexis in such a position, Pierce." The boy in question squeaked, flinching as he was put on the ground. "She's currently injured." I looked down at my shoulder and was more than relieved to see that it wasn't bleeding.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU RAT!"

Tears quickly welled up in Pierce's eyes as he screamed, running of in a random direction. As he ran, another person in punk-like clothing came running past Gray and I, a fork and knife in his hands, with a greedy look in his one golden eye. "C-C-Cat!"

I blinked, looked at Gray, and asked once both men were gone, "What just happened?"

Gray looked down at me, and I frowned realizing that all the cats were gone. "Pierce ran into you, as he was being chased by Boris, and took off. Come, we should go get Lord Nightmare's groceries. There's going to be a meeting in a few time periods. We must make sure Lord Nightmare is prepared and ready for his speech."

Nightmare's giving a speech? Well, that's going to be interesting...He'll probably do well, though. I mean, this is Nightmare we're talking about. He seemed perfectly fine explaining to me what all the different areas and stuff of Clover are."

Which confused me at his sudden reluctance to go to the meeting at all, and why Gray was currently trying to force him off a chandelier while on a ladder...

Apparently Nightmare could float in real life, too, which I found totally unfair. He could use my fear of heights against me! He could freaking grab and lift me up in the air before dropping me, in which I would fall and splatter across the floor with my guts everywhere and damn it, why are my thoughts so gruesome?

Due to my violent thoughts, Nightmare ended up hacking blood and losing his concentration, causing him to drop and scream as Gray reached out and grabbed him, slinging the silver-haired man over his shoulder. "L-Let me go! I'm not going! You do the announcement!"

"_You're _the Lord of Clover Tower, Lord Nightmare, not me. Therefore, I can not do the presentation."

"Then I won't go!"

"You are a role-holder, so therefore, you _must _go as it is part of the rules."

These rules are really confusing me, but I didn't question it. If I did, I'd just end up more confused. However, I do know a few things about the rules from my coversations with Gray when we were shopping.

1: The rules have to be obeyed, otherwise you're stuck in prison (Somehow, that didn't surprise. Their "rules" were basically the same as the "law")

2: If you died, you'd just be replaced. (That still confused me. Replaced as in "random person comes in" or replaced as in "Person who looks like you takes over"?)

3: Interferring with a Foreigner's decision to stay or leave Wonderland is forbidden.

4: You don't steal other peoples clocks (What the heck is _that _supposed to mean?)

5: The rules are more important than someone's life. (_Suuuure _they are. That's what they _all _say when someone commits murder to a little kid)

6: The reason why Nightmare wears an eyepatch is because he has to keep one of his eyes closed. (Why? Just..._why_?)

7: To participate in the game, the foreigner has to drink a liquid called the "Medicine of Heart" or the "Medicine of Clover". As that game begins, all people in Wonderland will fall for the foreigner. The foreigner has to accumulate liquid in their glass vile the medicine came in, and once that vial is filled, they can choose to either stay in Wonderland, or to have a role-holder bring them home.

The last one irked me. It was demented. That was basically _forcing _them to fall in love with you. I mean, yeah, I'm a lonely person, but that's just sick. I pity the poor girl named Alice. (I found it rather obvious that if there was a Wonderland, there had to be a girl named Alice. I'm sure there's one out there somewhere)

I tried to keep track of all the people I met, staring at my glass vial curiously. I wondered what would happen if I dumped it, or if I drank the small bits of the liquid I had already in it. My curiosity was strong, but my hesitance and cautiousness was even stronger. I could dream about what would happen if I did something with it before it was full, but I would never act upon them. I was a dreamer, and a realist, and I don't like taking risks. I take things as they go and act when something happens. I just go with the flow.

I will cry, I will scream, I will laugh, I will react, I will be loud, and I will remain silent. That's how I worked. That's how the world worked. That's how _everyone _worked. They reacted. Whether they cry, whether they scream, whether they flinch in pain or laugh in joy; it was how we worked.

Though...I _really _don't think this shirt that I'm wearing is actually mine... It was _huge _on me. I mean, yeah, I grabbed it from the laundry room because Gray said all my clothes we bought were done being washed and that I could put them in the room I was staying in, but I don't think we bought me a huge cream-white shirt with ruffles on it...

Why does it look like one of the shirts I saw Nightmare wearing earlier?

_Oh...Oh! _I bursted out in laughter, practically dying as I clapped my hands together loudly. "Ha-Ha! I _knew _I would end up stealing one his clothes! Hahahaha! Ha-Ha!" I was kneeling over at this point, my arms wrapped around my stomach. Oh, god, what have I done? He's gonna be so ticked. I paused then at that thought, a slight sliver of fear coursing through me at the thought of being yelled at and hated. _No. What should I care? I...If he yells at me, so be it. I'll live. _

I could handle it. I'd handle anything that was thrown at me...except bullets. I don't like bullets-bullets are mean.

Well, I'm tired. I let out a huge and loud yawn as I stretched, before trudging slowly over to my bed, turning off the lights. Another twinge of fear and uncertaintly hit me. I hated sleeping in new places. Especially if there were those creaking noises...

I held my breathe, waiting silently for something to happen-for a madman with a gun to pop out and shoot at me. (Yes, March Hare, I'm talking about you) When nothing happened, I slowly made my way over to the bed and laid down, covering myself up with the green blankets and burrowing myself underneath them as I turned onto my left side, swallowing and praying that I wouldn't have any bad dreams.

..._How much am I going to get yelled at by Jack and Sarah if I get back? _I wondered, squeezing my eyes shut as I curled into a ball. _Sarah noticed...but did Jack? And what about my dad? Erin? Even my brother? Did...they even really care that I was gone? _I remembered Sarah's texts, and inhaled sharply. _What if that was just a front? Maybe she didn't really miss me... _The idea that my best female friend didn't care put a figurative knife in my chest, twisting it into my hearts and slicing it up. The idea that my two male best friends didn't miss me involved the knife ripping the heart out of my chest, and thinking that my very brother and father didn't even care...

I could only watch in my head as my heart was chopped up into tiny squares and sliced up with a rusty cheese grater. I had to open my eyes and blink the tears away, wiping them away with the blankets and my pillow, sniffling a little. I didn't want to go to sleep. I didn't want to go back and see their reactions...see them mad at me for coming back home...

Maybe it was a good thing that I followed that crazy rabbit... Then I wouldn't have to deal with the day when they told me that they hated me. It felt like we were growing apart anyway; they were always together, and whenever I tried to talk to them, they seemed to not be listening some of the time... They were so obsessed with each other. I mean, I loved them, I loved the fact that they're a couple and are in love with each other, I just... I never felt like a third wheel until truly recently.

They didn't care anymore. The texts were a lie. I know...so why...why does it hurt so much to just think about it?

I don't want to sleep...

I'll dream... I don't want to dream...

I'll see them. They'll hate me...

Why do I have to be such a selfish person?

Something sudden overcame my senses, luring me into a deep sleep...

_"It'll be fine. I'll give you good dreams. You're the Dreamer, after all." _

Right...whatever...that means... I drifted into a deep sleep, breathing softly as my eyes fluttered shut, no longer tense and relaxing as I uncurled from my ball.


	4. Tom and Jerry

When I awoke, I was wide-awake, and really _really _well-rested. I hadn't slept that well in... I frowned, trying to think of a time. Either way, I let out a small yawn and stretched, falling back into the warm bed and curling up underneath my blankets, smiling a little. Ah, I loved sleep...even if I didn't get much of it. I can never really sleep when I want too...or _need _to, for that matter. I was always thinking, always processing things, and always on the move...

I felt like that if I slept, I'd start thinking bad things and end up having nightmares...

I did have nightmares often, actually, and usually about random things. But, there were those that got to me and made me cry. I never screamed, I never yelled, I never told anyone about them-I just laid their and cried as silently as I could in my bed at home...

How long would it be before Gray and Nightmare hated me, too?

Stretching my arm out, I flinched, feeling the pain in my wounded shoulders as I tugged my Iphone out of my gray jacket, quickly putting in my passcode and seeing if anyone texted me. To my surprise, there was something flashing.

_One missed called. Sarah Howard. _

My eyebrows rose up above my forehead, and I shot up into a sitting position, alarmed. She tried to call me? Did she really miss me!?

The door to the bedroom opened and my head shot up to look at Gray entering with my recently acquired clothes in his arms-cleaned and folded. "I am sorry to intrude, but Lord Nightmare had informed me of your awakening. I have brought you your clothes, and I suggest that you quickly get dressed into this if you wish to join the assembly."

He placed my dress beside me on the bed and placed the rest of the clothes on the drawers. I was surprised; with all the servants they had, I figured that the maids or whatever would be the ones to bring me my clothes. Nice to know that even though they're rich, they're the _spoilt _rich who let everyone else do everything for them. That was nice. I nodded, smiling, in a really good mood.

"Okay. Thanks. I'll get dressed in a few minutes, 'kay?" He nodded, returning the smile with one of his own, before exiting the room. However, before he left, he informed me,

"Lord Nightmare and I will be awaiting your prescence in his room."

Ah...he had to make me feel like I needed to rush, didn't he? Jeez... Now I'm nervous. Watching as his back faded from view as he closed the door behind him, I gingerly picked up the article of clothing and stared at it, making a face. I wish I had leggings...I'm goign to feel so damn naked without...wait! I jumped out of my bed and ran over to all the folded clothes, grinning when I picked out a brown pair of leggings. "Yes! I knew it!"

Not so feeling naked now. I grinned and took a shower as fast as I could, making a face as I rebandaged my _beautiful _sore wound. It was red around the edges with thick scabs, and it looked a bit like a crater... A small crater, but still a crater... I made a face when I remembered how it looked when I first got it, oozing with blood...

Let's stop those thougths now, shall we? I'd rather not relive my almost-death. I threw on my dress, and made a face realizing that my wound was showing. Eh, oh well. Wait...oh shit. The March Hare was going to be there...

Well, _damn. _I'm screwed.

I dried my hair with the towel, ignoring the pain, and brushed it. Because it was slightly damp, it framed my round face more than usual and stopped just below my shoulderblades. My bangs hung in front of my eyes until I brushed them to the side. I quickly put my gauges back in and grinned at myself in the mirror. Other than the fact that my freckles were _highly _visible and made me look like a brown-haired ginger-who-wasn't-really-a-ginger, especially because of my eyes, I think I looked good. I pulled my boots on once I got to the bedroom, zipping the side of quickly and grinning madly when I was now one-inch taller because they were elevator boots.

Well, time to see Nightmare and Gray now... Oh, god, I feel like an actual girl...this is scaring me now. Actually-grabbing my jacket, I slid it on, uncomfortable with my arms being exposed. I felt naked without sleeves.

I hesitated on opening the door, before just pushing it open anyway. I let out a small scream when Nightmare suddenly rushed passed me and down the hallways, Gray following suit as he chased the Incubus down the halls.

"I'M NOT GOING!"

"Lord Nightmare, please! You must! All role-holders must attend, and you out of all must go especially as _you're _the one hosting it!"

...This scene was actually rather amusing. I think I'm just going to go sit on the couch for the time being. After about five minutes, Gray walked back in with Nightmare held against his chest, Gray's arms holding the Incubus' arms down as they were wrapped around his torso. Nightmare was kicking his legs and screaming childishly, only to end up coughing blood mid-scream. When he was done, Gray's jacket was covered in red and Nightmare looked weaker than usual.

Gray let out an exhausted sigh and plopped Nightmare onto the couch beside me, causing me to jump and scoot away in surprise. Nightmare let out a whine, refusing to go the Assembly. Someting suddenly hit my mind and I asked curiously, "So, what's the assembly about?"

"Whatever Lord Nightmare chooses to talk about," Gray answers, giving his boss a small glare. "We were thinking of having him inform everyone about the new foreigner in Clover."

Oh, god...Please don't. I don't want the March Hare shooting me in the face again. "Oh...Okay then." I flinched when I felt a hand on my hand, ruffling my hair, and I turned my gaze to look at Nightmare.

He said, "He's not going to shoot you again. He'll realize his mistake once he finds out who you are."

...I still feel like he's going to shoot me. But, I'll take your word for it.

Gray quickly glanced at the clock on the wall and said, "It's time, Lord Nightmare."

"I'm not going-" He started, but cut himself off at Gray's glare. The poor guy...

"Alexis, you'll sit next to me during the assembly. Is that alright?"

"Huh-oh, y-yeah, that's fine."

But it was _not _fine when everyone in the assembly room kept staring at me. I sat awkwardly next to Gray and fiddled with my fingers, waiting for the assembly to end so that I could leave. It turned out that the reason Nightmare didn't like going to the assembly, was because he had _stage fright_. He kept stuttering and repeating words-even worse than how I usually stammered. He, out of what I could understand, explained that there was a new foreigner (me) and that she was staying at the Clover Tower with him and Gray. The rest after that was a bunch of mumbo jumbo that I didn't understand as I kept zoning out.

A lot of people were actually on the verge of falling asleep, and some were already asleep. The ones who were sleeping are a black-haired woman, the March Hare, a pair of fraternal twins, and Paul. No, wait, his name was Peter. Yeah, Peter. The punk-like person from the other day-er, time period was eying daggers at the poor mouse-guy. He look so scared! I kinda wanted to hug him.

It was like when you're watching an anime, and there's that character that always has this look on their face that makes you want to cry and hug him. That was basically how I felt right now. But that cat was so mean! I like cats and all, but he keeps bullying that poor mouse! Tom was being very mean to Jerry.

...I'm just going to call them that until I actually learn their names. I looked up in surprise when I heard Nightmare snort, before stammering a quiet apology and continuing. I blinked at him, before thinking, _You can do it Nightmare! Show 'em who's boss! _His voice squeaked a little. _Aaaand I just made it worse. Oh, that's nice. _

It was another half hour before the Assembly finally ending, queing with Nightmare rushing out of the room and leaving Gray to deal with all the paperwork and stuff. Oh...dude, you're digging your own grave right now...Poor Nightmare.

"Hey! You're the new foreigner?" I looked up to see the cat from earlier grinning at me, the mouse from before squirming in his grasp as tears welled up in visible eye. He looked horrified. "I'm Boris."

"Uh, I-I'm Alexis..." I looked at the mouse-man, feeling worried for him even if it didn't show on my face. "Hey, uh, you alright...?"

"C-Cat's...Cat's gonna eat me!" He cried, breaking out into a sob. Oh, crap. Hooooh, crap. Okay, how to deal with crying people? I don't know! There's no manual for this!

"Let him go!" The man named Boris looked surprise. That surprise caused him to loosen his grip and allow the mouse-man to escape, rushing to hid behind me fearfully. "H-Hey!"

"Hey, get back here-!" I shot out of my seat and grabbed the taller boy by his shoulders, quickly moving him out of the way of the man's claws. Pun,_ not_ intended. "Hey! He's a mouse; what're ya takin' his side for!?"

"Because you're scaring him!" I could feel the taller boy trembling, and jumped when I felt him grab my arms. I looked up at his face and asked, frowning, "Hey, you okay?" Um...Comforting people...you hug them right?

He sniffled and nodded at me, attempting to smile before squeaking at the cat's glare. He froze when I suddenly hugged him-as I found him incredibly adorable. Oh, god, did Gray rub off on me? _You're so cute! _Even when crying...Oh, I better not be becoming a sadist.

"Chuu?" He asked, eye widening in surprise. "A-Ah, you-you don't hate mice?"

"Haah?" I pulled away and looked up at him in confusion. He actually wasn't that much taller than me... Just by a couple of inches. "I don't think I do. They never caused me any problems or anything." It was true. The only people I knew that had problems with mice were my dad and Sarah.

His eye brightened as he exclaimed, "Then I can kiss you!" Wait, what? The boy quickly leaned down towards me, but Boris shot out a hand and caught him by his collar before he could do anything. He squeaked, staring horrified at Boris. "C-Cat!"

"No molesting the foreigner, mouse!" Boris ordered, before getting a hungry glint in his eye. He gave a grin. "You're _my _lunch." The mouse-boy looked like he was going to faint. Um...okay, then.

"No fair! We wanna play with the new outsider, too!"

"Yeah! Boss is always hoggin' big sis; we wanna play with the new one!" I turned my head in surprise to see a pair of red and blue twins running at me. However, the March Hare-a twinge of fear went down my spine-caught them by their collars and lifted them off their feet before they could tackle me.

"Not so fast, brats." Yeah, I really didn't like this guy. "Leave her alone. You need to head back to the Mansion and actually do your job!"

"Boo!"

"Chickie rabbit is so stupid!"

"What was that!?" The March Hare demanded, narrowing his violet eyes angrily at them.

"Um..." I took this chance to step back and hide behind Boris and the mouse-boy.

"Ellie!" Mouse-boy cheered, brightening at the sight of the March Hare. _Oh no...please tell me he and the madman aren't friends? _

"My name is Elliot, Pierce." Ah, so that's the mouse-boy's name...

What kind of name is Pierce? Then again, what kind of name is Nightmare? Wonderland's so weird. I like it, though. Minus Elliot. He's mean.

"Hey, where'd she go?" Elliot look around in confusion, and he felt a little less menacing. His shoulders slumped and he looked visibly depressed. I felt bad. "I wanted to meet the foreigner and apologize..."

"For what?" Boris asked, causing the mouse in his grasp to let out another week. Elliot paled and scowled, grimacing to himself.

"I shot at her thinking she was an intruder."

The twins wasted no time in insulted the man, causing him to revert to being a jerk and yelling at them. I didn't want to leave now... I'm just going to hide out here behind Boris and Pierce...

To my displeasure though, Boris reached out with his other hand and pulled me out from behind him, causing _me _to squeak and cry out in protest. I stumbled forward and froze, tensing as I stood up straight and looked at Elliot and the twins. Elliot's eyes widened at the sight of the bandage on my shoulder, the ears on his head drooping down as his shoulders slumped. He looked like he was going to cry.

_Damn it, why is everyone here so adorable when they're about to cry!? _Why couldn't I look that cute when I was crying? Oh, right, because I'm me, that's why.

"I'm sorry... I thought you were an intruder, and when you ran away like that I assumed you were a spy caught in the act... I didn't think I actually shot you. I'm sorry."

Crap, what is with all these people and the waterworks? I don't know how to comfort people! Waving my hands in front of me frantically, I dismissed his apology. "It's-It's fine! Really! So, uh, you can stop crying now, please..."

He looked down at me a little hopeful, asking, "Really?"

"Y-yeah! So, uh, stop crying now, please." He smiled widely down at me. "Like, my shoulder barely hurts at all! See!" I reached out an arm and masked my pained face with a grin, acting like I couldn't feel anything. I poked the bandage and smiled, "No pain! I mean, it hurt when it actually hit me, but I feel like my shoulder's totally fine now! So, don't worry or anything!"

The twins looked at me excitedly.

"How much did you bleed?"

"Did you almost die?"

I was surprised at the questions and said, "Uh, I-I bled quite a bit, got found by a faceless doctor dude, and I-I'm not quite sure. I don't think I almost died. It was just a gun shot wound to the shoulder..." Then again, there were quite some fatal gunshot wounds. I shouldn't be taking this too lightly.

"The foreigner's a child? Interesting." I turned my head to see another really tall guy with shoulder-length black hair with bangs that hung in his face, and jade green eyes. He reminded me of the really pretty woman from before, whom I suspected was the red queen. "What's your name?"

"Uh, Alexis. You?"

"Oh, my apologies." He said and smirked, placing a hand over his chest as he bowed slightly, "My name is Blood Dupre." Staring at his hat in awe, I realized who this guy was. Before I could stop myself, I pointed at him and exclaimed with a grin,

"You're the Mad Hatter, right!? Dude, that's so awesome! Do you really like tea as much as Nightmare and Gray say you do?" I love tea. I always wanted to meet someone who drank as much tea as I did-if not more. Tea was pretty much the only thing I drank on a daily basis-unless we ran out and I was too lazy to make some more. Then I just drank water. I tried some coffee though...it wasn't that good. Blegh. I'll only drink it if I'm desperate.

"I love all tea. Do you like tea, Miss Alexis?" _Ooookay_, that was scary.

"A-Alexis is fine. And uh, yeah, actually, I do. I drank it all the time back in my world."

His smirk seem to widen as he said, "I think I'll invite you to one of my tea parties in the future. I'm sure there's much we could talk about." Suddenly, a hand slapped him lightly on a shoulder. A small female hand, belong to a petite and slim girl with cream-colored skin and honey blonde hair. She wore a blue bow in her hair with yellow accents, which brought out her bright blue eyes, with the help the matching dress and apron. She was pretty.

"Blood! Be nice to her!" Blood looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, and I tried not to laugh at the scene. "Dee, Dum, don't-!" However, it was too late as I felt people tackle me. I stumbled and fell flat on my face, crying out in pain.

"Brother, brother, we got her! We got her!"

"Yeah! You're our new sis, now!"

I turned my head and looked at the pair of twins on my back in alarm. These two were the Tweedles? "I'm sorry, what? No!"

They pouted at me and protested in unison, "But you're too big to be a little sis, an' you're too small to be a big sis! You have to be our sister!"

"I...I already have a brother. And-And, uh, I barely know you. So, therefore, I can't be your sister. Besides, ain't that one chick your big sister!?" I pointed at the blonde girl, who I have deemed as the "Alice" of this world. "Alice, right?"

The girl looked surprised. "You know me?"

"Nope." I told her, popping the "p" with a grin. "Just figured that since there's a Wonderland, there'd be some chick named Alice, too."

"Your grammar is deplorable," Blood commented, despite his amusement. I pouted and said, all the while trying to push the twins off,

"I can't speak it, but I can write it! GER OFF OF MEEEEE!"

Thankfully, my attacker came to my rescue and lifted the twins off, walking away with them despite their protests. _Thank you madman! _

"Alexis, Alexis, I missed you so much! To think that you came here and disappeared from my clutch!"

"Hah? Gyah-!" I jumped and let out a startled squeak when a pair of arms wrapped around me-the same pair of arms that grabbed me and dunked me down a rabbit hole in the middle of the girls bathroom. "H-Hey, uh, Peter! What's up?"

"Peter!" Alice looked enraged. She was glaring at the white-haired man who was currently lifting me off the ground. My eyes widened in alarm and I screamed, kicking my legs frantically as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Put me down, put me down, put me down, put me down-!" Peter did so in surprise, setting me on my feet. His arms were resting around my shoulders at this point, as I was quite abit shorter than him. I was still tense, mainly from the surprise hug, and relaxed slightly when my feet were on the ground. "I-I'm sorry! I-I just don't like it when my feet are in the air."

Peter looked confused for a moment before understanding lit his features. "Ah, you're afraid of heights and all their creatures, but you shouldn't worry about it despite their features."

...Is he saying I shouldn't be afraid of falling to my doom? Okay, let's go with that.

"Um, okay."

Suddenly Alice had grabbed Peter by the rabbit ear, causing him to flinch as pain formed on his face. She was angry. "How could you just go and bring a child to Wonderland like this!? What about her family!? She has parents!" Peter start to look a little guilty. "What were you _thinking_?"

"I-I actually only have one parent. And a brother. And, like, four friends, so...He wasn't being all that mean. Besides, I like it here." I cut in, trying to make sure poor Peter didn't get anymore abused then he already was. "So...stop hurting him?"

Alice stared down at me with a deep frown, obviously disliking what I said, but released his ear reluctantly. Peter frowned and rubbed his aching ear, saying pitifully as he looked at Alice through rejected red eyes, "I was the one given an order, but I wasn't the one who decided to hoard her. I was the one sent to fetch and take, make her drink the potion remake, and have her play this game for her sake. I've seen her, I watched her, but only now decided to grab her."

Wait...so those feelings of being watched for three weeks was because Peter was watching me in his bunny form? Well, that's a lovely. Please, don't mind me as I imagine myself banging my head against a wall for allowing myself to get stalked. Just what I always wanted. I had two total stalkers in my life-one back in Elementary school who wouldn't leave me alone because he liked me, and another who also wouldn't leave me alone in Middle school because he liked me. Then again, the second person liked anyone with a chest that breathed air.

"Well, the new outsider certainly is popular, isn't she?" I looked up and saw the woman I suspected to be the red queen. Dark curly hair and violet eyes...She and Blood really remind me of each other. I'd of thought they were siblings, but they were on different territories of the power struggle, so I very highly doubt it. She smiled at me, and I felt rather envious of her looks. She was gorgeous. "We are Vivaldi, the Queen of Hearts. We are pleased to meet your acquaintance, Alexis."

Oh! She's speaking in third person. That's cool. "Oh, uh, p-pleased to meet you, your, uh, Highness-Majesty!" _Which one meant Queen!? Ugh, why did I have to forget now!? _

She smiled even wider at me. "Aren't you just adorable? We think we will get along just well. What say we leave these frivolous men to bicker amongst themselves while we have a talk and get to know one another?"

Crap. I want to say no, but I don't want to get beheaded... Damn it. Of course I'm stuck in a crossroads. Fine... I'll hang out with the Queen. She seems nice-ish. "Uh, sure..."

"Hey, no fair!" Boris protested, suddenly reminding me of his existence. "I want to hang out with Alexis, too!" Pierce squeaked, still crying, from being in Boris' grasp. Vivaldi turned her with a huge smile, about ready to either hug or pet Boris, but screamed at the sight of Pierce. The poor doormouse only cried harder.

"R-RAT!"

"I-I'm a mouse..." He sniffled, before bawling again. Oh, damn it all, what is with all these people crying!? I can't take it! I'm going to end up crying at this point as well if they don't stop soon. There was laughter, and I turned my head to see a man with red eyes, a red coat, and brown hair vanish out of the room. He looked like the person Nightmare and Gray told me to avoid. Fun. Well, at least I actually _know _what he really looks now.

...And I'm just going to sneak out and attempt to find Nightmare and Gray, but not before this...

Boris let out a small cry as I suddenly grabbed his tail, pulling on it, and making him lose his grip on Pierce as he whirled around to glare at who done it. I was already walking out of the assembly hall. Pierce was running away with tears in eyes, crying loudly as he left the Clover Tower. I saved a life. I feel good now.

I laughed at my thoughts as I tried to find Nightmare and Gray, before wondering if it would be alright if I explored the country a bit. I usually prefer staying at home, but...It's not like I have much to entertain me.

It took about ten minutes before I found Gray and Nightmare arguing over paperwork in Nightmare's room again. The two were so ridiculous. I was rather hungry, though... Was there any leftover chicken?

_Alexis, how long until you beat the game? _Sarah texted, causing me to frown as I took a bite of my food. A pain hit my chest and I swallowed, blinking the tears out of my eyes. I was starting miss everyone even more than before, and I wasn't sure how much longer I would be able to hold up this tough act in front of everyone. I had a feeling I was going to break sooner or later, and that it was going to be in front of a lot of people. God, I hate that annoying feeling you get in your gut when you feel like something bad was going to happen...

_I have no idea, honestly. _I told Sarah, placing the palm of my hand over my mouth as I tried to hold back a sob, breathing in deeply. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself, not wanting to burst out into tears. My shoulders shook, and it took a few minutes before I was finally able to calm down. I was going to be fine. As long I don't get into any trouble, or think about it, I'll be fine.

I hope...

I quickly put my plate in the sink and washed it, and headed off to attempt to find my room so that I could change into comfier clothes. A T-shirt and pants, maybe...or shorts. Whichever I'm really in the mood for.


	5. Deadly Sins

**Are they all in character? I'm slightly paranoid about this since I've only had the manga and wikipedia to go by, and the movie, as I've never really played the games. If I'm writing one of them wrong, please tell me and what I did, so I can write them better. Thank you. Read and review, please. **

Maybe I should try to find Alice...I could talk to her. But if I tried that, I'd end up getting lost. However, I also didn't want to get beheaded by Vivaldi...

Wait, speaking about the Heart Castle, didn't Peter work there? Would he be there? I remember him saying something about being given an order to grab me...Who told him to do so? He said that someone told him to bring me here, and make me drink the potion for my sake. What made them want to bring me here? And why-just _why _was drinking the potion for "my sake"?

It made no sense, and my brain was hurting trying to figure it all out. Peter was ordered to grab me, but watched me for a couple of weeks before actually _doing _so... What made him change his mind?

As I was thinking about this, I was changing into a pair of blue shorts with a purple T-shirt, putting on my _Nerd _necklace. I was an anime nerd, so, obviously, the necklace made sense.

Putting on my sneakers, tying them as I hopped to the door, I couldn't help but think, _I hope I don't get killed doing this... _My shoes were finished being tied, so I burst out into a run towards where I believed the exit to be. It had been two time periods since the Assembly, so I was certain everyone was back in their own territories. I just hoped Peter was at the Heart Castle like I thought he was.

Now, to avoid getting killed... I was glad I took the medicine the Doctor gave me. I could hardly feel the pain in my shoulder at this point. This would make running for my life easier. As I neared the exit, I paused, walking slowly. I pulled out the vial I had in my pocket, staring at it. More liquid had accumulated since the Assembly ended. All I needed to do was interact with people... _But, I'm so lazy! _And awkward. And Horrible with people. I didn't want to do this. I wanted to retreat back into the room I was staying in and hide out in there for the rest of my life, but if I wanted to get home...

Ugh, conundrums. I hated them, but I always ended up finding one. _Greeeaaat_, just what I wanted. Time to get killed, I guess... _I don't wanna die! _I reluctantly opened the door and traveled down the steps, trying to figure out the way out of town so I could then find the direction Heart Castle was in. However, just as I turned my head, I caught a glimpse of a really fancy building on a hill. I felt the blood drain out of my face, my heart dropping down into my stomach when I realized how far I was going to have to walk...

It was going to take longer than ten minutes. Okay, deep breathes, I can do this. I won't get lost... I looked behind me at the doors I just closed, really _really _wanting to hide out in the bedroom. I was leaving my comfort zone. I just...I just needed to go in the direction the castle was in, that's all.

Which, might I add, was a red and white dot in the distance.

This was going to be fun...

* * *

I was uncomfortable. I didn't like the looks all these people were giving me, talking about me like I committed some major crime and should be put in jail for it. At one point, I grew so annoyed I couldn't help but snap, "I'm not a role-holder, damn it!" I actually cursed out loud at them, giving them all frowns. "I can hear you, you know? I _do _have ears! I'm not deaf!"

Their reactions to me changed so drastically, I swore that I almost got whiplash. They went from whispering hatefully at me to acting scared of me, muttering about Nightmare and the mafia, and something about Alice. A few looked surprised to see me and even pleasantly surprised, until someone mentioned I was staying at the Tower of Clover. The kids were okay with me-most of them at least, and they pointed me in the right direction to the Heart Castle when I thought I was lost. It took a bit of knocking me off my high-horse to actually ask for directions though, as I had quite a bit of pride and didn't like asking for help.

I was hurt however, but it didn't show on my face. I didn't even give any signs that showed my pain at all. I didn't understand why all these people were glaring and insulting me, acting like they hated me when I didn't even do anything wrong. I tried to be nice to people, even to the people who tried to bully me back in my world... It was only when they were currently being mean did I make sarcastic jabs back at them. When they weren't being mean, I tried to be civil.

I didn't like being hated or having enemies.

I also didn't like being lost in a god damned _labyrinth _of a rose garden! Who the hell made this thing, anyway? How do people navigate?

"Who are you?"

"Intruder!"

I turned in surprise and screamed as I barely avoided getting stabbed in the face. I ran as fast as I could towards the entrance of the Caste, screaming like a banshee.

"Get back here!"

"NO! If I do that you'll kill me!" It's sad when I realize just how quickly I run out of breathe from running. Maybe I should have played sports...Nah, too much work. "I just wanted to talk to Peter!"

"The Prime Minister?" One of the guards asked, no longer chasing me. I kept a big distance between us, taking a small step back as I looked at the faceless men. "What business do you have with him?"

"And what's your relationship? Are you a new role-holder?"

I made a face and turned my head in annoyance before looking back at them, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "_Nooo_, I'm totally a new role-holder. I so know what my role is and everything; I'm an outsider, you nimrods!" My patience was at its peak, and I couldn't hold it in anymore. I was made fun of, I was being spoken badly about, and I just ran for five minutes trying to keep my life-I was in a bad mood. "I just want to ask him some questions! Now if you all would stop trying to kill me, that would be highly appreciated!" The two guards looked at each other and frowned, before holding their spears at their sides, standing up straight. I relaxed a little, but still didn't completely trust them. "Th-Thanks... Um, which way is-which way is the entrance?"

The first guard, a man with tan skin and black hair, spoke as he walked towards me, "I'll escort you to the Queen; what happens next is up to her majesty."

"If she doesn't behead you, first." The second guard added, a man with light skin and blonde hair, frowning. I could almost imagine the two men with eyes, a pair of brown and a pair of green, looking at me with a mix of pity. "You're an outsider, though, so you should live."

"Oh, that's nice." I said, completely ignoring the fact that they tried to kill me a minute ago. "So, which way is the Queen or whatever?" I think she said her name was Vivani...no, Victoria? No! _Uh...Velani? Vival-VIVALDI! THAT'S HER NAME! YES! I feel so accomplished now! _I grinned happily at my thoughts, ignoring the confused looks the two men gave me. I actually remembered her name! Now, the cat was...Bob? No, Boris, and the mouse was Pierce! I remembered the mouse's name because it was a weird name. I liked it, I thought it was cool, but it was slightly weird. Like, who names their kid _Pierce? _Or, what was the Mad Hatter's name again? Blood? Yeah, who names their kid that? At least Boris was a semi-normal name.

I think it was Japanese. I could be wrong, though.

As we entered the throne room, I heard Vivaldi give a bored sigh and order tiredly, "Off with his head..."

I could hear Peter giving orders to the guards, telling them to either hang or execute people. I tensed, fear tingling my spine as we neared the throne room. I didn't like my chances of survival.

"-crime of putting two sugar cubes in her tea instead of one! Her sentence is death!"

Yeah. Really, really loved my chances of survival.

The brown haired guard beside me spoke, saying, "Your majesty! We brought you an outsider!" Vivaldi lifted her head off her her hand and looked at me surprised, before a smile spread across her beautiful face.

...I'm jealous. I said it before and I'll say it again, I'm envious of her. She had a nice voice, too.

"Ah! Alexis has come to visit us?" Vivaldi questioned me, causing me to blink and hesitantly nod.

"Uh, y-yeah. I-I also came to ask Peter some questions..."

"You came to see me at Hearts Castle, despite it being such a hassle?" Peter looked excited, and I wasn't able to step aside in time to avoid getting tackled. I was just glad he didn't lift me up this time. "I'm so happy!"

"Um, yeah! I had some questions to ask you."

Vivaldi snapped, glaring at Peter, "Behave yourself around the outsider! We will have you beheaded!"

Peter fixed Vivaldi with a cold look, his normally bright red eyes darkening. I was stunned at the sudden change of behavior, but the look on my face remained that of awkward boredom. As much as I love hugs...It's so weird getting them from other people! Especially guys. Especially guys who weren't family. "I will shoot you in the head, and fight back before you can even start to paint the floor and country red."

"The country already _is _red, Peter! People die countlessly every time period."

Sadness hit me like a brick to the face, once I realized the truth in that statement. No one cared about death here. They all got "replaced". So...if people died every time period, does that mean someone could be dying right now? Was it a pregnant mother, a father? A pair of children? I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, my hands clutching the hem of my shirt as I thought about all the different ways those people could have I died. If people were dying like this when they didn't even deserve it...

What happened to the people who did?

"You're more calice than a garden without its Alice." Peter spat, talking about his beloved sweet. At least, I think he liked her. "You'd be broken and splattered before anyone could even bother to think that you mattered."

"Off with his head!" Vivaldi ordered, pointing her scepter at him. A pair of guards looked at each other reluctantly before charging at Peter, who grabbed his pocketwatch he had attached to his vest. I watched in shock as it transformed into a gun, Peter releasing me but holding out an arm to keep me behind him. My eyes grew wide in horror when he pulled the gun trigger multiple times, shooting all the guards dead.

Even the brown haired man who had helped brought me here got shot in the head. Only the second guard, the black-haired one, was alive.

Peter whirled around to shoot him too, but I quickly reached out and raised his arm, screaming at him to stop it. "Why? They're all just a bunch of vermin."

"They-They're not vermin! They're people! You-You can't just go and kill them like that!" I could feel the tears pricking my eyes despite them being closed, trembling slightly at the images of blood and dead bodies in my head. "I-I mean, you-you _can_, but-but it's not _right! _It-It's murder! I-I know they were trying to kill _you _and all, but-but you didn't have to actually kill them! You-You could of-of immobilized them or something!"

I could feel his red eyes staring at me from behind his glasses. Taking a risk, I slowly raised my head and opened my eyes to look up at him, trying to appear strong. I didn't want to look scared...weak...

The guard behind me was frozen, having never expected someone to stop Peter from going on a killing spree. He was silent, watching the scene before him.

I was scared. I was scared that Peter was going to shoot me as well. However, I was more than relieved when he turned his gun back into a clock, placing it inside his vest. Peter looked annoyed at the only remaining guard, before ordering, "What are you waiting for? Clean up this mess before they start to stain the floor! I don't want to work in a place full of germs." He scowled, "Disgusting worms."

Vivaldi just merely looked bored at the whole thing that just transpired. "Just what we needed. More clean up, and more people to hire." She sighed, pressing a palm against her cheek. "I can't wait to take a bath..."

Yeah... It was weird, but instead of showers, Wonderland had baths. Like, _huge _fancy rich baths. Swimming pool baths. It was awesome. The Tower of Clover had one too...

Feeling something warm against the side of my face, I raised a hand up and touched it, feeling something wet. My breathing hitched as I looked to see what was on my fingers.

Blood.

The blood that belonged to the guards, who were now dead... Who were littering the throne room floor right now, bleeding out. I turned my head with horrified eyes and watched as multiple maids came out to mop up the blood, a few remaining guards appearing to help the black-haired guard drag away the dead bodies.

"P-Peter..." I spoke, trying to keep my voice from cracking. He turned his head to look down at me. "Who-Who was it that ordered you to bring me to Wonderland?" My voice was quiet, but shook a little. Peter's ears twitched, so I think he noticed.

"The one who gave me the order, was Nightmare, the Lord of the Clover Tower." It didn't rhyme, but I didn't really care at that moment. I wanted out. This was too much. It was because of Nightmare that I was brought here...he made me fetch me... I...I needed to...

"Alexis!" I heard Peter exclaim, with Vivaldi calling after me in the background. I ignored them, running down the steps and tripping on the last one, falling on my shoulder harshly. I cried out in pain, but quickly pushed myself up and continued to run, running through the maze, running out of here...

I screamed as I suddenly slammed into a man in red, coated in blood. It was the guy Nightmare told me to avoid. He grabbed my arms and looked down at me surprised, before smiling widely. "Hey! You're that foreigner, right? Eh? You're covered in blood and shaking! How frantically is your heart beating?" I was frozen, staring up at him in horror as he smiled down at me. He was tall. Six-foot-two. I couldn't even move as he reached a hand up to my throat, feeling my pulse with a grin. He laughed. Suddenly his face grew dark, and before I could even react pain flared in my cheek as he swung a sword beside my head, something warm and wet splattering against my clothes.

I leaned away from the sword with wide, terrified eyes, turning my head to see the sword piercing through a man's chest. The red-eyed man pulled out his sword and allowed me to back away, twirling his sword in his hand before reaching out and swinging it to the side, slashing a man in the throat and chest, before stabbing him straight in the head. The man who was doing all the killing was laughing the entire time.

I could only fall back onto the ground and watch in horror at the murder that was taking part in front of my eyes. My heart was caught up in my throat, and I couldn't even speak. Blood splattered everywhere-on the grass, on the rose bushes, on the man, and on me.

Forcing myself out of my shock, I pushed myself to my feet and had to order my brain to let me move, to make me able to move my feet.

"Haha! You all keep attacking me! This is so much fun! Hey, hey, you done already? Aw!" The man kept talking to his opponents like they were playing a game. It scared me. I didn't like him.

I finally managed to get my feet to move, and when I was sure the man was busy fighting the other people, I ran for my life.

I wasn't sure how long it took for me to get to Clover tower, as there were no time changes, but as soon as I arrived I trudged up the stairs, no longer able to run as my legs were so sore, and my chest hurt, finding it painful to breathe. I stumbled through the hallways, pressing a hand against the walls to keep myself standing, and jumped when a hand placed itself on my shoulder.

I screamed and jumped, about ready to punch the person who touched me in the face and make another run for it, when a pair of hands gripped my arms tightly and kept me from attack or escaping.

"Alexis, what happened to you!?" My eyes shot open to see Nightmare looking down at me in horror, his visible gray eye wide. N-Nightmare...? "I knew I should have made one of the servants go with you!" I felt one of his hands touch the cut on my face and I flinched, recoiling. I wasn't used to this. I didn't like this. I-I didn't...I didn't want to... My shoulders started to shake, and it took everything I had to stop myself from crying. Nightmare looked pained, a small trail of blood trickled down his chin. "How much did you witness...? If you ever sneak out of the tower like this again, Alexis, then-" He cut himself off.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean-I-I just-I'm sorry!" I couldn't take it anymore. It hurt too much. I could feel the tears stream down my cheeks as I let out a sob, placing the palm of my hand over my mouth as I hung my head and cried. "I-I just-I wanted to know something and I-I didn't-I'm so sorry! P-please don't hate me!" I tried not to let out a wail. All I wanted to do right now was scream. "I'm sorry!"

I was more than stunned when a pair of arms wrapped around me, hugging me close, and Nightmare telling me that he didn't hate me. That he _wouldn't _hate me. I just cried more, despite the strange uncomfortable feeling of having someone hugging and trying to comfort me. No one ever really did that anymore. Sarah did once or twice, but that was only when I allowed them to see how sad I truly was-when I couldn't hold it back and actually broke down in front of people. Normally, I had my breakdowns when I was by myself, and always tried to cheer myself up. I never let anyone do it for me. When I broke down in front of someone, it was about once every few years. I always comforted myself.

But now...Now I wanted nothing more than to have someone hug me like Nightmare was doing right now whenever I was by myself and crying. I actually felt like someone cared.

But who would be caring for those people who were now dead, if life meant nothing in this world?

"Next time you leave, tell me or Gray, alright? I'll send one of the servants with you." Why? It would just be worse.

"B-But-But then _they'd _get killed!" Peter, Vivaldi, and the knight cared nothing for Faceless... What made Nightmare think that by sending a Faceless with me, that it would be any better? The person he sent with me would just get killed. I didn't want that to happen.

Nightmare frowned, and I held my breath when he tightened his grip on me. "They wouldn't get killed."

"Yes they-they would!" I pulled away from him, looking up at him with red teary eyes. He didn't see how-how _easily _Peter shot the guards, or-or how that man _sliced _them, stabbing them in the face. He didn't-he didn't see any of that...

"I've read your mind already, Alexis. I've seen everything from your perspective, and I can only say that I'm sorry. Wonderland isn't safe. However, it's the place where you can be happy."

How...how is watching people die going to make me _happy? _Why did...

I stepped away from Nightmare, causing him to frown at me in confusion. "Why did-Why did you make Peter bring me here?"

"Because-"

"_ALEXIS!_" I jumped at the sound of Peter's voice, as did Nightmare who hadn't heard Peter's thoughts at all, and screamed when I was suddenly tackled. "You ran off at the speed of light, I came as fast as I could to see if you were alright!"

"P-Peter!"

"Why did you run off like that?" Peter demanded, pulling away and looking at me with frown. "It isn't safe; this world is full of harm and insolent knaves."

Nightmare spoke, looking at Peter, "Did you tell her I was the one who ordered you to bring her here?"

"You never said to keep is secret, so I thought it would be best to tell her rather than keep it."

I cut in, annoyed. My eyes still stung from my breakdown earlier. "Just why did you bring me here! I want to-I want to know!"

Nightmare opened his mouth to speak, but Peter cut him as the white-haired man knelt down in front of me.

"Your heart was filled with sadness, the world around you nothing but madness. I brought you here to save you from the malice."

"Basically, you were unhappy. All people brought to Wonderland are unhappy, and they are to play the game in a chance to _become _happy." Nightmare explained, putting in simpler terms. I took another step back, frowning at them both, alarmed.

"How-How'd you know if I was unhappy or not?"

"I told you before, and I'll say it again; I watched you for weeks, before grabbing you then."

How could he tell I was upset just from three weeks? Nothing of importance really happened-Oh. _Oh... when I was in my room crying... _It must have been when I depressed over the thought of Sarah and Jack forgetting about me, as I hadn't truly begun to feel like a third wheel until recently. They've been dating for two years, but it was only now that the "third-wheel" pain hit me.

I didn't know what to think at this information. I didn't even know what to _do_. Everything was just...happening. I didn't like it. But...

"Why me? My name isn't "Alice". This is Wonderland. Only "Alice" can go to Wonderland."

"No," Nightmare corrected, frowning. "A girl named "Alice" was the first girl to go to Wonderland. She left however, and wrote a book about it."

Oh, yes, because the book was all about blood and gore! About death and pain and-and... I swallowed, blinking a couple a times as I tensed. I raised a hand up to my neck and rubbed it uncomfortably, wincing at the blood that was still on my skin.

"She was kid," Nightmare informed, and awkwardly admitted, "I also altered her memory." What? He can _do _that!?

"That's so unfair!" Screw this, I want mind-reading abilities! I want to edit memories! That would be so awesome!

Nightmare suddenly struck a pose, acting high-and-mighty all of sudden as he asked, "It _is _impressive, isn't it?"

Just to mess with him, I said, "The powers are, but you're not." His ego deflated and he busted out whining.

"Why are you so mean to me!?"

"'Cause I'm a jerk," I said, trying to grin as I blinked away the excess tears. I was done crying. I winced when Peter's hand suddenly was placed on my head, and flinched when a cloth brushed against the wound on my cheek. "Ow..."

"Rotten filth, who dare hurt Alexis, a child, without feeling any guilt?"

"I'm fifteen..." I mumbled dumbly, starting to zone out. Suddenly, I let out a yawn, tired from all the running I did. Was it night yet? I blinked when I felt a bandaid get placed over the wound, and stared at Peter in surprise. He was frowning, his red eyes dark. They held the same look they did when he...when he shot everyone. He was so nice now...why was he so mean to Vivaldi and the guards? "Wait, where'd you get the bandaid?"

He looked surprised, before smiling. "Alice hurts herself often, so I bring these with me as a precaution."

Hey, that was actually a decent rhyme! I'm so proud of you, Peter!

Nightmare laughed so hard he ended up coughing up blood. I flinched, guilty. "Not-Not your fault!" Nightmare gasped, holding a hand up to his mouth as blood trailed down it. Peter gazed at Nightmare coldly, making a face.

"Germs." He said, and I then realized at the moment the kind of person Peter White was.

He was a germaphobe. Huh, that's interesting. Wait, then why does he keep hugging me!? I'm covered in germs and oh my god, I need to take a bath. _Bad. _GROSS!

I took notice of the hair that was sticking together because of the blood, and commented, "Ew...Gah! Sorry, sorry, sorry! I got you guys bloody! I'm sorry!" Well, Nightmare was covered in his own blood, too, so that can't really be helped...

"Not my fault I'm sickly!"

"Yes, it is! Visit a doctor or something!"

"I refuse!"

"Ugh, you're such a kid!"

"Says you! I'm an adult!"

"I'm a teenager!"

Peter cut in, glaring at Nightmare, "Both of you are acting like children fighting! Quit arguing and start acting right!"

I squeaked, running to hide behind Nightmare in fear of getting shot. Yeah, I've seen what he could do. As nice as he was to me before, I am _not _taking any chances with this dude. I'm sorry, but I happen to _like _living.


	6. Similar Thoughts

The town was... "This way? No, that way! No...Dang it, which way was it?" I was lost. Again. And those stupid doors just won't shut up!

_"Come here! Open me!" _

_"No, no, ignore that! Come over here!" _

_"This direction! Open me, Alexis!" _

"No! I don't wanna open you, so therefore, I won't open you!"

_"Open me!" _

"No!"

Why was I out in the woods, do you ask? Well, it started something like this.

I was pacing around the couch and tables Nightmare had in his room as he worked, completely bored out of my mind and driving him insane with the endless _tap-tap-tap _I was making as I walked. He suggested that I should find something to do, and when I asked what I could do, he said that I should hang out with Gray. Well, Gray was busy, and he told me to go play with one of the servants. Well, I told him that I didn't want to "play" with one of the servants, and that caused him to suddenly remember that I needed some "formal" attire. Apparently the dress he bought me wasn't good enough.

I had made a face at his comment, and blinked when he had shoved money into my hands. He told me to go to the town and buy some suitable formal wear.

By myself. A directionally-challenged fifteen-year-old teenage girl who had to wait ten years before she finally figured out which hand was her left and which one was her right. A girl who still had trouble deciphering north, east, south, and west. A girl who nearly got herself killed trying to ask a certain white rabbit a freaking question!

Anyway, before all this happened, I found out that one of the servants washed my "worldly" clothes, so I put those on after I passed out after my bath. So, now I was wearing a purple T-shirt, my gray jacket, and black jeans with my dirty red sneakers. I put clips in my hair to hold a small part of my bangs back, finding it irritating to brush the strands behind my left ear all the time.

But, either way, I was now heading towards a town (or attempting to) in an effort to go and buy formal wear. Which was going to be tuxedo. Why? Because I've always wanted to wear and/or own a tuxedo, with a bowtie, and a tophat. Will Gray send me back to buy a dress? Probably.

But...then again, it wasn't like it was _my _money...Maybe I should just buy a few dresses and get it over with... I don't know! _Argh! Why do I keep thinking!? _

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do! Where the heck is the stupid town anyway!?" I demanded, glaring at a random tree with a talking door on it, decorated with rainbow mushrooms. I really didn't trust those mushrooms. Though, I did kick a few tops off their stems because I was bored and evil, and it was entertaining. Out of sheer boredom, and loneliness (though I don't think that involved much with my actions other than my sighing) I kicked another mushroom top, sending it flying.

Why couldn't Nightmare or someone have come with me...? I hated being by myself. But nope. Nightmare was actually doing his work for once, and Gray was too busy doing other things such as keeping an eye on Nightmare and cleaning.

However, I thought back to my conversation back with Nightmare and Peter and flinched, hating myself. God, damn it, I was so stupid! Why did I have to go and breakdown in front of him like that? He probably thinks I'm a weirdo now... Well, great._ There goes one of my friends in this crazy world_-I paused. Did I...consider Nightmare and Gray friends? I mean, yeah, they were nice and all, but...

Yeah. I trusted them. They were my friends.

Normally, I didn't trust easily, but I've spent enough time with them to know that they weren't going to kill me. However, I did know one thing...

Even adults couldn't handle dealing with a teenage girl 24/7. Poor guys. Must have been annoying them endlessly...

Do they hate me now? I quickly slapped a hand onto my face at thought, shaking my head furiously. _No! No, no, no, no, no! They don't hate you! They're your friends! Yeah, you didn't know them long, but they like you! ...I think. _

"Ugh!" I groaned, running my hand down my face. I couldn't feel any shoulder pain. The medicine was like magic. "Why do I torture myself like this...?" Sometimes I wondered if I was a masochist or not, because all I did was just cause myself more pain with my thoughts.

I wish someone would just pop up (preferably someone nice and friendly) and alleviate me of my fears and boredom. I waited in the same spot for a minutes, waiting for a cliche anime moment, before feeling the pain of loneliness again as I trudged through the annoying mushroom forest.

This wasn't an anime. This wasn't a cliche otome game, or a manga... This was real life...

No one was going to save me here. I would have died if I didn't run away from that knight, and those people who were shot? They weren't coming back. They were dead. Good, gone, _dead_. Peter had killed them. That knight, Ace as I was later informed, killed the men who had attacked him.

Reality was a cruel mistress, and the truth was like a cold kiss.

Instead of warming you, it froze you to the bone, leaving you to rot with the painful truth of reality...

I could just imagine anime tears streaming down my face as I looked up at the sky with closed eyes, crying out, "Why am I so negative!?"

However, just as I said that, a pair of arms reached out and wrapped around me, causing me to turn my head in alarm and see the mouse-boy from before, Pierce, looking at me with a smile. He exclaimed, "Found you! You're mine, now!"

"Wait, what? No, I'm not!" What the heck? Okay...this boy was insane. Cute, but insane. I really hoped he wasn't going to kill me, too... I watched in alarm as tears suddenly welled up in his one visible eye, and tensed as he turned his head to get a better look at me, his nose just barely grazing mine as his face was so close. I wasn't sure what happened, but I gained that feeling in my stomach-the one you get when you're nervous and about to perform on stage in front of millions of people. It wasn't a bad feeling, but I didn't know if I considered it a good feeling or not. It was like that feeling of embarrassment you gain after someone beats you in a playful argument.

His face was _right there_, and I could see his eyes clearly-even the one he had hidden beneath his hair. The forest green color was actually rather pretty. _Aaaand I'm hallucinating... _I tried to lean my head back, feeling my face heat up a little in alarm. At least, I think it was alarm. _W-Why...are you...so close? _I didn't know what to do. I was frozen.

The boy looked upset at my words, pouting with tears in his eyes. "But I found you," He protested, his breath brushing across my face. It smelt like cheese and coffee-a weirdo combo, but I kind of liked it. "You were lost and I found you! You're my rare lost item!"

Damn it, he had to pull out the waterworks. I felt a bit disgusted at myself, but he was...so... _cute! _I couldn't really think-torn between freaking out and yelling at him to stop hugging me and being so close to my face, or hug him back and tell him to stop crying. My brain wasn't really working properly at this moment in time, switching rapidly between being blank and trying to think of responses.

"F-Fine!" I quickly pushed the boy away, causing him to look at me in surprise and confusion. "I-I'm your "lost item"! Just-Just stop crying already!"

He looked down at me with wide eyes, brightening as he smiled happily and hopefully. "Really!?"

I scowled, looking up at him and locking eyes, still wielding that embarrassed/nervous feeling from before. "Y-yeah..." I let out a shocked gasp when he suddenly lunged forward and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly as he exclaimed,

"Yay! You're my lost item! That means I can kiss you, right?"

"Wh-What!?" My voice squeaked a little as it went up an octave, barely lifting my head in time to avoid losing my first kiss. Pierce's lips came in contact with my chin, and I could feel the blush spread farther across my face. "H-hey, what-what are you doing!?"

"You're so cute!" Pierce said and pulled way, but frowned with teary eyes. "Do-Do you not like me? Am I not allowed to kiss you?"

Okay, now I felt guilty, but this was-I think-sexual harassment! No, dear sir, you may not kiss me! "It-It's not that I _don't _like you-I-I like you plenty, but," Damn. How was I supposed to explain this? Oh, I know! "You're not my boyfriend, so therefore, you _can't _kiss me! Only boyfriends and girlfriends are allowed to kiss each other! Unless the two people are like brother/sister and have a totally platonic relationship. Then the-the person is only allowed to kiss the other person on the forehead."

Pierce pouted at me, still having his arms around me.

I wondered if this awkwardness of being hugged by random people was how Sarah felt when I tackled her all the time. But, we're both girls, so it was probably much less weird, not to mention that we're best friends.

"So...I can't kiss you unless I become your boyfriend?"

"Right! Which, you can't be my boyfriend, since I don't love you or anything! And-And vice versa! So, therefore, I can't be your girlfriend!" I noticed he left out the "Brother/sister" thing, which confused me, but figured he was just being lazy.

"...Can I kiss your cheek?"

"Wh-Wha-?" I was stunned at the sudden question, and could only squeeze my eyes shut and lean my head back when I saw his face come close to mine at an alarming rate. I didn't like it when things came close to my face. My eyes shot open at the feel of something warm and soft brush against the side of my face, before moving and touching against my forehead. "H-Hey!"

I tensed when Pierce suddenly hugged me, smiling to himself. "You're so cute! And you're mine, now, too! So no one else can have you!" C-Cute? It was different hearing it out of Pierce's mouth than when Jack called me that-as Jack was merely joking and making fun of me. I didn't know Pierce, so I had no idea if he was joking or not. B-But, _cute? _

"I-I'm not-I'm not cute..."

"Chuu!"

"Hah-?" My face flared red when his lips pressed against a spot near my mouth, just at the edge. My heart stopped and leapt up into my throat. This was...too much. "O-Okay, e-enough with the affection already!" I put my hands on the taller boy's shoulder and pushed him away from me, unable to look him the eyes. He tilted his head and looked at me confused, but with a smile on his face. "I-I need to find the town-"

"The town? Why?"

"B-Because...Gray-Gray wants me to buy some dresses..." I was rubbing my neck awkwardly, looking off to the side as I glanced at the boy out of the corner of my eyes. Oh, god, I hadn't felt this nervous since I had to play the saxophone solo by myself in Band class! If I screwed up, everyone would have known. Thankfully I did good, but it was still humiliating and embarrassing. I was a follower, not a leader. I bit my lip, not really wanting to ask for directions. "Do...Do you...know where it is...maybe?" My voice squeaked a little at the end.

Damn. This was embarrassing. And awkward. Very awkward. Ask the kissy-mouse-boy for directions. Very normal thing.

He nodded with a smile. "Yeah! I can take you there!" He seemed to get excited quickly. "Can I help you pick out some clothes!?"

"Uh, I guess..."

"Chuu!" I let out a startled scream when he leaped at me against and kissed my cheek, sending me stumbling and falling onto the ground with him on top of me. I quickly pressed my lips into a thin line to avoid having any first kisses stolen, and was more than relieved when he got off of me and let me stand up.

I had "stalkers" before, but didn't everyone? This was a whole different level for me. I was never used to this much...affection...before. I'll be honest-I had a boyfriend back in elementary school-_one _boyfriend in my whole life, who was a guy I really liked and used to be my closest friend, before he broke up with me and moved schools. Everyone had that one childhood "sweetheart" or whatever, but I was in Highschool now, and hadn't had a boyfriend since elementary. I just didn't like anyone. Yeah, I had crushes here and there, but those were mere infatuations. I never really _liked _anyone, nonetheless loved.

I think that my "Mr. Right" got shot or ran over by a bus a while back... Where's "Mr. Left"? Oh, right. He doesn't exist. Please allow me to call an Undertaker now, please.

I've never been kissed on the cheek, I've never been kissed on the forehead, I've never been _kissed _before, or smothered with so much affection before. Why was Pierce even doing that anyway? Does he just do that to anyone he sees or what? Ah, well, I wasn't given any time to ponder it as Pierce-to my shock-grabbed my hand and started to lead me away towards the direction of the town.

...

"What about this one?"

"Uh, no. That one's pink."

"Then this one?" I paused, actually thinking about it. It was green, and would probably bring out my eyes...which happened to be green as well, if you all didn't know that. It was a green chiffon sundress with straps at the shoulders. It was cute, but I didn't think that I would actually wear it without black leggings. Well, Gray told me to buy multiple, but... "I think you'd look cute!" My eyebrows twitched at the compliment as I grew embarrassed, refusing to look at Pierce.

"F-Fine... Whatever. I'll get it. But I'm still buying that one black one!" I wasn't too sure about what kind of dress it was, but it was black with longsleeves and flared out a little at the waist, as it framed the body all the way down to the hips, and stopped at the knees. Pierce merely smiled and kept telling me what dresses he thought would be "cute" and I could only go along. However, I had to agree with most of the choices, as there were a lot of cute ones. I doubt I'd actually wear any of them without an actual excuse to do so other than to "feel pretty".

Whenever I tried to dress up and make myself feel pretty, the people in my school-the ones that knew me-always asked if I was sick or something. It was like a crime for me to dress up. I hoped-a little, just a little-that I could dress up and feel pretty here without being questioned.

All in all, I bought two black dresses, a green one, a purple, and a blue-and-brown. I also bought a fedora-because, why the hell not? Pierce got an awesome hat, Blood's got an awesome _tophat_, why shouldn't I get an awesome fedora?

Hanging the bags off of my arms, I tried to remember the way to the Clover tower. When I told Pierce this, he looked surprise and asked if I knew Nightmare.

"Uh, yeah, he's my friend. Why? You know him?"

"Yeah! He helps me sleep and stops the bad-kitty from getting me!" Pierce appeared ecstatic about the fact that I knew Nightmare. "Can I come with you!?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, sure..." As soon as I said that, I got attacked again, and cried out, "Stop that!" Pierce removed his lips from my cheek and pouted, tears in his eyes. Damn it...he cries easily, huh? Making me feel guilty...

"You...do you hate me now?"

Oh, god... R-Resist...urge...to... I gave in. I tackled Pierce with the bags on my arms. He looked surprised, but not as surprised as he was when we first met at the Assembly. "Stop being so cute!" I squealed, before cutting myself off abruptly when I realized what I said. I grew horrified at myself and quickly pulled away, realizing what I had done. "I'm sorry!" I quickly apologized, flinching at my horribly mistake, and quickly said, "I'm-I'm just-I'm just going to go now!" I pointed awkwardly at the direction where the Clover Tower was, having seen it after raising my head up, and walked off quickly before breaking out in a run.

Damn it. I had to go and hug him. _And _call him cute. _Greeeaaaat, now he's scared of me. _Wait, but he kept kissing me and hugging me and stuff before! So-So he might _not _be disgusted with me? I paused and stopped running, furrowing my eyebrows as I tried to make sense of the situation. So...wait, why would he be scared if I suddenly hugged him, if he kept hugging me first? Oh god, did I just make things worse?

"Alexis?" I jumped, letting out a startled scream as I whirled around to look behind me. It was the cat-Boris. He looked amused at my reaction. "What are ya doin' here in the woods?"

"Uh...shopping?" I replied dumbly, lifting my arms up. He raised an eyebrow, his eye widening in surprise. Suddenly he lurched forward and appeared right in front of me, leaning down and _sniffing _me. His eyes darkened suddenly as he commented,

"You smell like mice..." He looked hungry. Oh, great. I smelt like cheese. I mean, I love cheesy food and all, but, uh, I don't think I really wanted to _smell _like it...

As if on cue, Pierce came running, smacking straight into me as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and knocking me onto the ground. "I'm sorry! I don't know what I did to make you run away like that, but I'm sorry! Don't hate me!" He was crying.

"I-I already said I don't hate you, Pierce!" I exclaimed, alarmed as I tried to push myself up. Pierce suddenly froze, horror striking his face as his shoulders tensed. He was shaking, and frightened tears started to fall down his face. "P-Pierce?" I then remembered something. Pierce was a mouse, and Boris was a cat... When we really actually _first _met when I was shopping with Gray, Boris was chasing Pierce around...

I quickly dropped the bags to the ground and pushed Pierce off of me, onto his back, and hovered myself above him as I sent Boris a look, saying loudly, "Don't you dare! Pierce didn't do anything, so don't hurt him!"

"I'm not gonna hurt him, Alexis! I'm just gonna...play with him a bit!" Yeah, right. 'Cause I totally can't see the knife and fork you're holding.

"Dude, you're holding a knife and fork. That basically screams, "Oh, look, a mouse! I'm hungry, and since I'm a cat, I'm totally gonna try and eat him"! Yeah, sorry, no Pierce for you."

Boris' ears twitched at my response and he scowled, frowning as he shoved the utensils into one of his pockets. I questioned him and his sanity-if he had any.

I let out a yelp when Pierce wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled me down on top of him, crying about how nice I was for saving him. I would've sweatdropped if I could, not understanding how I was "nice". I just didn't want someone I was starting to consider a friend to be cat food. I kept my hands on the ground, keeping myself off of Pierce as much as I could. Our chests were nearly touching. This was...rather awkward for me. And his face was right next to mine, too.

This boy was really clingy. Just how old was he? I couldn't help but ask, staring him straight in the eyes as I turned my head to look at him directly. Our noses just barely brushed, and I held my breath as I waited for an answer.

Pierce blinked at me, "Seventeen."

My arms gave out of me. Both from surprise, and from the fact that I had no upper-arm strength at all. I let out an "_Oof!" _while Pierce merely let out a small grunt from the sudden weight on his chest. I squeaked and let out a high-pitch, "Sorry!" and rolled off of him. We both sat up and Boris knelt down on his knees so that he could look at both of us evenly.

"Stop makin' moves on the foreigner, Pierce! You gotta give us other guys a chance! Blood's already taken Alice!" Pierce let out a terrified squeak and dashed to hide behind me, grabbing my shoulders as he poked his head out from behind mine. I made a face at the fact that I was being used as a shield.

"He's not hitting on me." Though I could beg to differ on some accounts..such as the multiple times he kept flipping _kissing _me! Why was I defending him anyway? Oh, yeah, 'cause I'm apparently "nice". I thought myself a jerk, actually.

Boris looked surprised at my comment, and exclaimed, "Seriously!? Are you telling me that he hasn't been hitting on you at _all_?"

"Uh, no...He hasn't really been directly flirting with me. He's just been calling me "cute" and stuff..."

Boris reached over and poked me in the forehead, causing Pierce to let out another terrified squeak as the Cheshire cat drew closer to him. He said slowly, as if I were stupid, "Calling a girl cute _is _considered flirting, Alexis."

"He meant it in a platonic way!" I think. I hope.

"Are you sure about that?"

"He hugs and kisses everyone, doesn't he?"

"Not me."

"That's 'cause he's scared of _you_!"

"You're point?"

"Well, name other people he does that to?"

Pierce spoke up hesitantly, eying Boris frightfully, "E-Ellie, and-and Peta, and A-Alice! C-Cute things! I-I kiss cute things! Please don't eat me!"

I turned my head to look at Pierce, alarmed to see how close his face was to mine _again_, and said firmly, "He's not going to eat you. Right, Boris?"

The cat scowled and crossed his arms, sitting down crosslegged in front of us. "Fine. I won't eat you. You can come out of hiding now." Pierce reluctantly did so, still scared of the teenage cat-man, but sat down close to me, hugging my arm.

I seriously wondered if I was this clingy with Sarah. 'Cause as much as I hugged her, I didn't kiss her (That was Jack's job) and I don't think I was _this _clingy. It...was kinda cute, though, the way Pierce kept clinging to me. I felt him lean his head against mine, and I blinked, turning my head to stare at him. I felt a small smile tug on the corner of my mouth, and I could still remember how it felt when Pierce kissed me there. I blinked at my thoughts, and groaned in my head, realizing what I was thinking about.

Pierce's shows of affection were confusing my brain. I just met the dude. I was _not _going to deal with this. I was a teenage girl, these thoughts were normal. Pierce was a boy. I was obviously going to be delusional about some things.

He was cute, and slightly adorable, but that was all. He was potential friend. He seemed to like me enough. I remembered him calling me "nice" and pondered on what he meant by that, but smiled anyway. Pierce was the nice one here.

I looked at Boris, realizing he was the same height as Pierce, and asked, "How old are you? I'm fifteen."

"Hm? Eighteen."

"So...Fifteen, eighteen, and seventeen?" I asked, pointing at each one of us respectively. I then asked, frowning, before laughing, "Where's the sixteen?"

"No idea, but I do know the twins are fourteen."

The twins... "Oh! You mean Dee and Dum?"

Pierce's grip on my arm tightened at the mention of the Tweedle twins. "D-Don't go-go near th-them! Th-They'll chop you up!" I blinked and turned my head to look at him, but stared in surprise when Boris reached over and pulled Pierce off of me, an annoyed look on his face.

"She already smells like mice, rat! Stop suffocating her!"

"I...Huh?" I had no idea what I was supposed to say. "He wasn't-He wasn't suffocating me..."

"Seriously?"

"What?"

Boris looked exasperated.

_"Open me, Alexis! Open me!" _I let out a startled scream and jumped, lunging forward as I whirled my had around trying to figure out exactly which door the voice came from. _"Open me!" _

"Are you alright?"

"A-Alexis?"

I didn't want to ask, in case I was the only who heard them and sounded crazy, but... "Do-Do you guys hear the doors talking to you, or-or am I just crazy?"

Boris and Pierce looked at each other, thought Pierce looked like he was going to cry from being in such close proximity with the cat, and looked back at me.

Boris said, "You're not crazy, but we definitely don't hear the voices."

"Then how do you know I'm not going crazy!?"

"Because the doors are speaking to those who are lost," Pierce explained, scooting away from Boris nervously. "Th-They're just being kind..."

"Wait, so all this time I could've just asked the doors for directions!?" I came to the sudden realization, and then acted like I was going to bang my head off a tree. Leaning against said tree, I groaned while acting like I was about to cry, "Then I spent hours wandering aimlessly for no reason! No-o-o-o-o..." My shoulders shook as I complained. "I could've just asked which way the town was! Why didn't Nightmare or Gray tell me this!? THIS IS TREASON I TELL YOU! TREASON!"

Boris laughed at me, while Pierce blinked. Pierce tilted his head and said, "B-But the doors can't tell you where to go...They just bring you to the place you want to go to most."

I then remembered something Nightmare said and my gaze shot over to Boris, who looked at me in surprise when I suddenly turned to look at him. "You!" I quickly crawled over and sat in front of him, asking, "Nightmare said you can open doors and teleport places right!? Is that true!?"

"Uh, yeah...I can create and cut spaces." I'll pretend I understand what that means.

"That's so cool!" He grinned at me.

"Ya think?"

"Yeah! All you need to do is be like "Wow, I'm hungry. I'm gonna go to McDonald's even though it's a mile away-" BAM! Open a door and you're inside the restaurant! One yummy cheeseburger coming right up!" I clapped my hands together excitedly, grinning like a child who was given candy. Though, I don't really eat candy unless it's chocolate... "You don't even have to walk! That is so boss!"

"I know, right?" Before anyone could say anything else, Pierce suddenly tackled me from behind and pulled me away from Boris, frowning. "Hey-!"

"She's my item! I found her!"

"It's amazing how your brain processes things incorrectly," Boris responded, glaring at him. "Alexis doesn't like you, so leave her alone! She's _my_ friend!"

Pierce started to cry again and I freaked out, smacking Boris upside the head and trying to convince Pierce that I didn't hate him. "Stop arguing with each other already! I don't hate either of you! Pierce, stop crying, Boris-stop being a jerk to Pierce!"

"Why do you keep taking his side!?"

"Because he's nice and saved me from my boredom of being lost in the woods!" He's also utterly adorable. What the heck started this argument anyway? "And-And, well, he's-I consider him a friend, kind of, and I'm not taking anyone's side! I'm just trying to stop you from making him cry all the time! He's been crying since the moment I met him!"

"He's a cry-baby! His brain doesn't even function properly because he doesn't ever sleep!" Huh. All I ever do is try to sleep-but when I'm awake I generally try and stay up for as long as I can without passing out. But when I'm asleep and I wake up...I just lay in bed trying to stay sleeping.

"I-I don't sleep because of you!" Pierce argued, tears welling up in his eyes as he tightened his grip on, pulling me back and into his chest. I blinked and tensed, feeling awkward and nervous at the same time. "If I sleep, I'll wake up as a bag of bones and skin!" Ah, so that was what he meant when he said Nightmare kept the nightmares away.

See what I did there? Haha! I'm so proud of myself...

"There's no need to worry, Pierce," Boris said, his only visible eye glinting hungrily. "I'll help get rid of those bad dreams..." Pierce let out a terrified squeak and pulled me onto my feet, causing me to let out a surprised shout when he suddenly started running at full speed while dragging me along, his hand gripping my wrist tightly.

"_RUUUUUUUN!_"

"GYAAAH!" I screamed as I nearly tripped over my feet, trying desperately to keep up with Pierce. He was _fast_.

"Hold on, Pierce!" Boris called out after, chasing after the two of us with the knife and fork back in his hands, "Why do you keep running from me!?"

"SCARY CAT!"

I could do nothing but keep moving my feet as Pierce dragged us through the woods. As we were running, the evening changed to morning, and I think we lost Boris somewhere a while back. We somehow ended up at the Clover Tower, hibernating in one of the hallways as we gasped for breath.

"I...am never...running with you again!" I then realized something and let out a small scream, causing Pierce to look down at me in alarm. "The bags!" I was about to race back out the doors towards the woods to fetch the items I had dropped, but Pierce grabbed my arm before I could run off.

"Don't! He-He'll eat you!"

"It wasn't my money I spent, Pierce!" I snapped, trying not to freak out. I didn't want to get yelled at by Nightmare and Gray by losing the items I bought with their money. I lost what _they _bought. I had to get it back. "I-I need to-I need to get it back! So let go already!" I tugged on my arm, trying to get him to let go. Ignoring his protests, I ripped my arm away from him and ran out of the tower and down the steps, trying to remember which way I had come from. Going left, I ran again and into the woods.

This was going to be a long few time periods.


	7. Knights and Mice

I was frozen to the bone, the adult brunette in front of me completely oblivious to the fear in my eyes as he laughed obnoxiously.

"You're the little foreigner from before~! So, these bags are yours?"

"Y-yeah..." I tried not to let my voice squeak, merely staring at the taller man with a bored face. My body was stiff, however, and it was taking all I had just to relax. "I-I was coming back to grab them..."

"Aw, and here I thought you wanted to go on an adventure with me!"

_Did that adventure include murdering innocent people while slashing them up with your sword?_ I was hesitant, having an urge to lunge forward and rip the bags out of his hands, and also having an urge to run away for my dear life. People had two instincts that took over in life-and-death situations, and those were a) fight and b) flight. I generally just go with the second choice.

"C-Can I have my bags back, please? I-I don't want Nightmare and Gray to worry..." Like they'd actually be _worried _about me... Well, Nightmare, maybe-_maybe_. Gray, I honestly have no clue about. I didn't really know the guy, as I generally just hung out with Nightmare. He seemed nice, though, and was oddly motherly...

I felt a pang, and wished that I knew my own mother, but quickly pushed that foolish thought away. She died when I was little, so it was impossible to have ever really known her.

Ace pouted at me childishly, holding both bags up in one hand. "Aw! Why?"

"Because I need them!"

"Will you go on an adventure with me if I give them to you?"

"No!"

"Hm~! Then I guess I'll just keep them then~!" He smiled at me and laughed, causing annoyance to grow. He was lucky I had a high patience.

"Why keep something that doesn't belong to you? What value would they hold?" I surprised myself with how confident I sounded, but then again I was using my other persona-the me everyone knew that acted like she didn't care about anything, that wasn't scared of anything, that was so anti-social she just used sarcasm when she didn't know what else to say. The one who beat up her best guy friends because she didn't know how to show affection other than hugs, which she only used for her female friends. "So-So therefore, since the bags don't mean anything to you, you should just give them to me!"

"Eh, really? But what if I just kept the bags and killed you here? I always wanted to know what an outsider's heart would sound like when they're dying." My blood ran cold. He...He said that with _such _a happy face... This man was twisted beyond measure. Maybe I should have listened to Pierce... No! I'm not going to start regretting my decision now! What's done is done.

"B-Because, if you kill me, you'll be so bored without my awesome presence! Be-Besides, what use would you have with a couple of dresses? I doubt you're into cross-dressing."

The knight actually appeared thoughtful at this, holding a hand up to his chin. He burst out laughing with a huge grin on his face, tossing me the bags as I stumbled to catch them, "You're right! Hahaha! Hey, do you know the way to the castle?"

"Um..." I looked around, frowning. I didn't even know where I was. "N-Not...Not really..."

His eyes lit up as he looked down at me, making me feel incredibly short, "Oh! Are you lost, too? We can be lost together, then!" I cried out in protest when he grabbed my arm and started to drag me away.

"H-Hey! I'm not-I'm not lost! I-I just don't know where the Castle is!" Okay, I was lying, I _was _lost, but so was this guy! So you can't blame me for lying to him, especially since I've seen him kill people! "H-Hey! Let go of me!"

"Nope! Hey, do you have any idea where the nearest shortcut is? I think it's this way~!"

"Gyah!"

Somehow, within the span of two time periods, I nearly gotten eaten by a flying whale, bit by a snake, chased by a bear (which Ace proceeded to easily sling me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes) attacked by squirrels, and currently was trying to trudge through a really fast current.

"A-Ace-!" I called out, fear traveling down my spine as I tried to reach the next stepping stones. I was just going to wait until Ace came back from the other side of the river, but he was going to leave me alone even if I waited, and right now, I didn't want to be alone. I was scared. "Hey-_!_" I screamed, my foot slipping on the wet stone, sending me falling down into the icy depths. At least, I would have been entirely engulfed, if Ace didn't reach out and catch me at the last moment. I was breathing heavily, utterly horrified at what nearly happened. I clung onto his arm tightly, ignoring his laughter, as he lifted me up and carried me to the other side of the river bank.

While he was walking, I forcefully made myself release the grip I had on him and hugged myself, crossing my arms over my chest as I tried to stop myself from shivering from the cold. My jeans were completely soaked, along with my socks and shoes, and the hem of my shirt and jacket. I didn't bother to question how Ace was able to carry me like he was with only one arm. It was practically the same way Sesshomaru carried Rin all the time in _Inuyasha_.

The morning switched to night time, and Ace finally decided to stop walking. I flinched when he knelt down and set me up against a tree, the man smiling the entire time. When Ace looked away, I finally gave in and shivered, clamping a hand on the back of my neck at the cold chill I received. Wearing wet clothes was bad enough, but in the middle of the night outside? My legs were practically numb at this point. I hated to admit it, but I missed the warmth I received from Ace when he was carrying me-though I probably ended up getting part of his clothes soaked as well.

I looked up, rubbing my numb legs in an attempt to get warm, though really just making myself colder, and blinked in surprise when I saw that there was a tent already put up. Was...Was Ace going to be _camping_? Suddenly something warm covered my body, darkness covering my vision. "H-Hey! Who turned off the lights!?" I demanded, struggling to get the thing that was on me off. It felt like a jacket and...a shirt? "_Haaah?_" I finally managed to poke my head out and see what on me, only to look up and scream, whirling my head away. "PUT A SHIRT ON!"

"Hahahaha! But if I do that you'll freeze to death, silly~!"

"B-But-!"

Ace completely ignored my protest, laughing at me, saying, "I'm getting firewood. Put those on if you don't want to freeze~! You foreigners are so fragile." He laughed again and walked off, leaving me confused and utterly stumped.

Why...Why was he...? _Haaaah? _I resisted to make a face as I stared blankly at the articles of clothing that were on my lap, debating whether I should get undressed and put these on, so that I don't freeze to death like he said, or bare with the cold and throw his clothes back at him?

I didn't really want to, but I stripped down to my underwear and quickly pulled the shirt on, making a face when I had to button it. Thankfully Ace was a decade older than me and much much larger, so his shirt practically went down to my knees and the collar covered up half of my face, making me look like a ninja. I grinned at the thought and couldn't resist the urge to karate chop the air, kicking invisible enemies in the face. God, I was really was a kid... "Hoho! Fear my-my skills of awesome ninjaness! _Hyaaaaa!_" I used a really, really bad Chinese accent. Soon I stopped and laughed at myself, before scowling at my ridiculous and pulling on the really big jacket, buttoning it up. It trailed on the ground.

Uh, maybe I should give this back to Ace? He was shirtless (My poor innocent eyes were blinded) and was going to freeze too out in this cold. Where was he, anyway? I decided to wait next to the tent for him to come back. I sighed, my legs aching from the cold, and tucked my knees in the really big shirt, wrapping my arms around them as I leaned my head down against my arms. The shirt and jacket were actually really warm. I shivered again and sneezed, making a face as I yawned. I was tired...too much running today.

I think I fell asleep, but I wasn't sure. All I knew was that when I woke up I was inside the tent with Ace next to me, his head on-his head on my chest. Wh-What the hell!? Dude!

I tried not to freak out as I tried to wiggle out of Ace's grip, trying to pry his arms off of me. I knew falling asleep was a bad idea-then again, I probably should have ran away from this guy when I was being chased by the bear. I flinched at the sound of a flying whale groaning. I swear, those things were creepier than the talking doors. "L-Let go of me!" I hissed quietly, both wanting and both not wanting to wake the adult up. This was highly uncomfortable. I froze when his eyes opened, staring at me confused for a moment before a grin spread across his face. Oh no... "Uh, hi? Morning! C-Can you let go now, please?"

"I wanna listen to heart some more~!" He protested. I was fairly certain my face flared red-whether from my embarrassment or my anger, I had no idea. I squirmed in his grip.

"N-no! And put a shirt on!"

"But you're wearing my shirt!"

"Then put the damn jacket on!" I froze, realizing I just cursed in front of an adult. I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut as I waited for a slap to the face. When I felt nothing, I slowly opened my eyes to see Ace staring at me, causing me to flinch again and squeak, "I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to-I didn't mean to curse!"

I was able to curse in my head around Nightmare just fine...He just scolded me. He wasn't like the other adults who'd backhand you across the mouth if you slipped up, who'd yell at you and ground you for weeks on end. Ace was an adult, though, and completely different from Nightmare, so I had no idea what he was going to do.

"Ehhh? Why are you sorry?"

"_Huh?_" All I could really think at the moment was _Please don't hate me, please don't hate me _and _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry_. His question caught me totally off guard. Ace removed himself from me, which made me relax considerably, and sat up cross-legged, blinking at me. His red eyes looked truly confused.

"You just cursed." I flinched at the reminder, still expecting a slap to the face. "Everyone does that." I looked at him with wide eyes, surprised.

"W-Wait...So-so you're _not _going-you're not going to hit me? You don't hate me?" Agh! Why did I tack that on at the end!? I think Pierce is rubbing off on me. That, or I just want someone to blame. He didn't like people hating him either.

Ace was silent for a long moment, something flashing in his eyes, before he laughed at me. I stared, utterly confused. "You're so funny~! Hahaha!"

I made a face when he started to laugh at me. I didn't really understand why he was laughing at me, but I didn't bother to question it. I just said, in a really sarcastic voice, "_Gee_, thanks! I feel so much better now. "

"Hahaha! You're welcome~!"

I deadpanned, "I was being sarcastic."

He laughed again, "I know. Pretty cheeky for an outsider, huh?" I just made a face at him, which caused him to laugh even more. "Hey, Hey, why did you run from me the other day?"

"Oh, uh..." I frowned and looked away, trying to think of an excuse. "Well, I, kinda, well...B-Before-before you, you know," I swallowed, "killed them, I-I saw Peter do the same with the guards just a minute or two before I ran into you...I-I was shocked." Wrong. I was scared. I thought they were going to kill me as well. "I never...seen someone get killed before." Who in my world has, really, that didn't have some tragic past?

I knew it was out there. Murder, rape, abuse, torture...I knew it was all out there, I knew everyone had a past of some kind, whether it be dark and painful, bright and kind, or just... a past. Nothing bad, nothing good, just...life. I just had a plain past.

My mother died shortly after giving birth to me, having been in a car wreck, and my dad took care of me and my brother since. My brother went to Ivy Tech in order to become an engineer and my dad just worked as an electrical technician. I was at home by myself most of the time, making sure the house didn't burn down or anything, and never invited anyone over or visited a friend's house. I was constantly by myself, in my room with a cup of tea, typing away on my laptop. There were times when my Aunt visited, but I'd rather ignore those.

My brother hardly visited because of work and school, as he lived in a dorm at the school, and my dad was just constantly busy with work. When my dad _was _home he'd make dinner and tell me what happened at work, or talk about Senators and the things the President was doing wrong with the country. He tried to teach me mechanics, but it just didn't work, so I settled with writing and drawing. I couldn't do math very well; one of the traits I picked up from my mother, I guess, along with her green eyes. All I remember of her really was a smile and a warm touch. My dad said she was beautiful, with blonde hair and bright green eyes that could tell what kind of person you were. She worked for the police, I think, as a patrol officer. That car wreck she was in? She was chasing down someone who had hardwired a car and stole it.

I didn't have a bad past, but I didn't have a good one either. It was just how my life was, so that's how I dealt with it. I've never seen anyone murdered, I didn't really know anyone who was abused, and I also didn't know anyone who was raped-nor was I raped myself.

The world was dark and cruel, but this world was probably even worse, or better, as people killed with no reason...

No one ever killed with a good reason. Not even the Mafia.

"Eh? Then what would you do if I killed you right now?" I stared blankly at his smiling face, before deadpanning,

"Kick you in the nuts and scream." He laughed at my response, but I think I either intimidated him, or earned just a little-a _little _bit of respect from him. I just kept staring at him. He noticed and stopped laughing, just smiling at me.

"Hm? What is it?" I sighed and shook my head.

"Nothing...is it still night or did the time period change?" I was surprised with how well I was taking the whole "time period" thing, but it wasn't really that big a deal. It just meant I could stay up longer.

Ace quickly poked his head out of the tent and said, "It's morning again! Hey, I think your clothes are dry now!"

"Wait, how? It's only been one time period!" Clothes stay wet for quite a few days unless you actually wash and dry them. Ace looked at me for a moment, blinking, before he started to scratch his chin in thought.

"Hm...Oh! You don't know?"

"Know what?" I demanded.

"That everything becomes clean again once a time period ends~!"

I stared. And blinked. And slapped myself against the forehead-_hard_. "Ow!"

"Hahahaha! What'd you do that for?"

"B-because! I-I'm changing then! You-You stay in the tent!"

I then proceeded to change in the bushes. Again. I was kind of sad that I wouldn't be able to act like a ninja anymore, but... Well, that was only a moment of goofiness. Still rather embarrassing though. I quickly buttoned my jeans and slid on my jacket, poking my shoes with a finger to make sure that they were actually dry. I wasn't a fan of wet feet. Luckily, like the rest of my clothes, they were dry. I quickly pulled them on after my mis-matched socks and tied the brown laces. I huffed and stood up, flinching as a couple of bushes scraped against my arms and scratched me. I let out an angered yell, finding one had snatched onto my pants leg.

"Get off! Off, off, off! I say off, darn you!" It took a moment, but I managed to get it off of me and stumbled out of the bushes, shouting as I tripped over a root and fell on my face. I groaned and let out a whine. This really wasn't my day. "Owww..."

"Hahaha! You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine..." I grumbled, pushing myself up onto my feet. I picked up Ace's clothes and thew them at him, saying, "Here you go! Now put them on and stop flashing people!"

"Aww~! Fine..." He pouted, before doing as told. I sighed and turned to the direction of the tent, but blinked in surprise when I found it gone.

"Dude, where'd it go?"

"Huh? Oh, I put it away. Hey, which way do you think the castle is?"

"I don't-That way." I said, looking up as I grabbed my bags, placing them on one arm.

"Huh? This way?" I let out a yell and quickly reached out and grabbed Ace's arm, pulling him back with what little strength I had and cried out,

"No! No, no, no, no, no! Other way, OTHER way!"

"This way then?"

"No-_gyah!_" I screamed when I was sent stumbling forward, Ace being a _great _deal stronger than me. I lost my stance and balance and was sent flying into his back. "Ow! Stop-stop going the wrong way, damn it!" I flinched, realizing I cursed again, and turned my head. "J-Just-Just follow me..."

"Hm? You sure? I think this is a shortcut-"

"No, no! This is a shortcut-most definitely a shortcut!" Ace had to think about it for a minute, scratching his chin, before laughing and following me-before diverting off the path multiple in times, in which I had to go back, grab him, and drag him by the sleeve towards the direction of Heart Castle. The only reason I knew where it was at was because I looked up. It was actually closer now.

It took about three more time periods to get there-in which my stomach was starting to growl angrily at me for neglecting it food-and in which where I wanted a shower. _Bad_. Why couldn't Wonderland have showers? Or, they do, but the Tower of Clover just doesn't have one? Hm...I'm gonna have to bug Nightmare about that.

"W-We're here!" Somehow, during the mess, I ended up getting twigs and leaves in my hair, and mostly covered in dirt. Ace was no exception. He kept running into tree branches and walking through bushes, making _me follow him _and drag him back out and towards the right direction! The idiot. We stood at the gate to Heart Castle, right where the Hedge Maze starts. "There...I'm fairly certain you can go on from there...Hopefully."

"Aw~! I thought you were going to come with me?"

"As much as I _love _the offer, I have to get back to Nightmare." Well, actually, Gray since he's the one who gave me the money, but... Nightmare's more my friend than Gray is, really. "See ya later!"

He perked up a little, grinning. "Bye! Oh, wait!" I paused in my walking away, turning my head to look at him.

"What-_gah!_" I screamed when I was suddenly lifted up off the ground,the bags falling, with Ace's arms wrapped around my legs as he held me up in the air, his head against my chest listening to my heart beat. "P-Put me down! Down, down, down-_S-Set me d-down!_"

"Huh, why? Hey, it's beating faster! What's wrong? Are you flustered?"

"N-No! Put-Put me-Put me-" I couldn't even get the last word out, terrified of being lifted off the ground. I could feel myself falling backwards and screamed, quickly lunging forward and wrapping my arms around Ace's neck tightly, tears in my eyes. "Put me down!"

"...Oh! I get it! Haha!" Ace did as told, dropping me onto my feet and leaving me stumbling as I fell backwards and onto my butt. "You're so short you don't like being picked up!"

"Shut up!" I growled, glaring at him as best as I could as I stood up shakily. I grabbed my bags and hugged myself, feeling both violated and scared. I had no idea of what to make of Ace. He was scary, he was ridiculous, he was-in a way-nice, but he was a jerk. He made no sense. "I-I'm going home..." I mumbled, turning around and walking back the way I came, rubbing my arms and trying to get rid of the goosebumps. I don't like Ace. He was mean.

"Aw~! I was just playing!"

"I don't care! Go talk to Peter or something!" I shouted and walked faster, before running once I was far enough distance to avoid him. Today sucked. It was good at first, but then it went completely and totally downhill... God, I'm so tired...and I literally woke up just a few hours ago, too! Remind me to avoid directionally-challenged knights with red eyes. Peter was even better than Ace-at least he rhymed! ...Most of the time.

While walking in town, the time changed again and to my surprise, the dirt on my clothes completely vanished. Having a little money left, I decided to go to one of the stores and buy me a small snack; just a little to stop my stomach from rumbling. I can handle going without food for quite a long time, but I just need something small to keep functioning properly. I probably eat twice a day total. Whatever I had for breakfast, which was usually a small bowl of cereal, and whatever I eat for dinner ten hours later, which generally was just a can of cream of chicken unless my dad made something.

"I can't wait to sleep..." But before I do that, I'm going to question Nightmare about the whole "shower" thing. Out of my knowledge, there were only really huge baths. For all I know, there _could _be showers... Unless I was told wrong. "If I have to deal with one more crazy person..."

"A-Alexis!" I held back a groan, not wanting to deal with anymore people, before turning my head to see who it was. However, before I could fully see the face of the person shouting my name, I saw a blur of orange and green before I was tackled, the bags being sent of my hands. Those poor dresses.

"Pierce!"

"I-I was so worried; chuu!"

"What for?" I asked, trying to push myself up so I wasn't laying awkwardly on my arms. I turned my head to look at Pierce, tensing when I realized how close he was. Damn it, what's with him and close contact? I mean, he's cute and all, but jeez! Pain wracked my right shoulder, and it wasn't until now that I realized how much it was really hurting. I was so busy trying to keep Ace going on the right path and getting back to the Tower of Clover, I didn't notice the effects of the medicine wearing off. It must have worn off a long time ago, too, because it hurt. Like. _HELL! _"Grah-_mm!_" I quickly slammed my mouth shut and clenched my teeth together, trying to stop myself from crying out in pain. I didn't think this in a while, but...

Bullet wounds _HURT_.

"Eh!? Alexis!?" Pierce quickly climbed off of me, freaking out as his visible mouse ear twitched. "Yo-You're heart! It-it's beating really fast; are you hurt!? What's wrong!? Do-Don't die!"

"I'm fine!" I bit out quickly, rolling onto my good side and sitting up, pressing a hand against my wounded shoulder. It felt wet. Oh, _greeat_, just what I needed at this point in time. More stuff to put me in a bad mood. "I'm not-" I swallowed, furrowing my eyebrows as I tried to hold back a pained sound. I breathed in deeply, finishing, "I'm not going to die. No-Nothing's wrong."

"A-Are you sure? It-it's going even faster than before! D-Doctor-!"

"Pierce, I'm fi-_ah, damn it all!" _I was quickly cut off as I leaned over and hugged my shoulder tightly, squeezing my eyes shut. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, stupid Ace! I'm gonna smash his face in!"

"A-Ace!?" Pierce squeaked, alarmed as he knelt in front of me. His eyes widened at the sight of my bleeding shoulder. "H-He did this!?"

"No! Ju-Just which way is Nightmare's tower?"

"B-Bu-But y-you need-"

"I'll be fine!" He flinched, causing _me _to flinch and apologize frantically, "I-I'm sorry, but-but I-Sorry!" I released my shoulder, causing it to hurt even _more_, and reached down with my right hand to grab my bags. I quickly ground my teeth together again, tears threatening to well up in my eyes. I was _not _going to cry. Not again. I was sick of it. I'm a cry-baby, yes, but only when I allowed myself to be. When I'm _alone_. What happened with Nightmare and Peter was a fluke. Same with Ace. "Stupid...bags." I insulted them, pain wracking my shoulder from all the extra weight. Screw it, I'm using my left. Moving to put the bags in my left hand, I was alarmed when a hand reached out and snatched both of them from me.

I looked up in alarm to see Pierce holding them. He looked conflicted-like he was trying to figure out what to do. I was starting to get a little dizzy.

"H-Hey-_gyah!_" Before I could even react, Pierce shoved the bags back into my arms and picked me up, causing me to shout in alarm when he suddenly broke out running. "Wha-what are you doing!?"

Pierce didn't respond, and I could only stare at him in stunned silence. The look on his face was completely different than from what I was used to seeing. He looked serious. Not like scared little mouse he was before. Despite my fear of heights, I kept my mouth shut and didn't complain, instead clinging to Pierce's jacket with my left hand and holding onto the bags with my right. It a hurt bit being jostled around, but it was mainly only my shoulder that the pain was coming from. It was numbing now, actually, which I don't really think was a good thing. I just kept getting a bigger headache by the second.

Pierce started to run up steps and I flinched, allowing a small fearful squeak to escape through my lips. This was so not fun. "Gray!"

What was Pierce doing? I couldn't figure it out, even after he barged into into the building. Suddenly Gray came running into the hallway, having heard the door slam open and Pierce's shouting for him. I flinched at Gray's alarmed gaze and shouted when Pierce broke out into another run. _What the hell is going on!? Ow-Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow-god damn it, that hurts! _

"Whoa-!" Pierce barged into another room and set me down on a chair, causing me to flinch. A few female servants ran in carrying bandages and medicine, causing me to blink. "H-Hey!" I protested loudly when they started tugging off my jacket, "I-I'm fine! What-what are you doing!?"

"Cleaning your wound and dressing it." One of the faceless replied. She was blonde. I blinked, swearing that I thought I saw a pair of onyx eyes, before clearing my head. Only the role-holders (and foreigners) had eyes. She looked familiar though. Her partner told Pierce to leave the room, causing the mouse-boy to protest frantically.

"She is a young lady! We are not dressing her wounds in front of a male!"

"W-What's wrong with-" Pierce started to protest, before his face flushed in realization. My headache was just getting worse. Pierce quickly left the room.

"OW!" I wasn't prepared for the sudden stinging pain when the maids quickly removed my jacket and shirt and placed some kind of disinfectant against my wound. "Gah." I made a face and clamped my mouth shut, watching in disturbing fascination as the two woman worked on my wounds. One of them had taken my bags and left with them; I have no idea what she was going to do with them. Probably wash them or something, I guess... I have no idea how people worked. After a few moments of disinfectant and washing away the blood that was staining my skin, the blonde woman quickly pressed a cloth against my shoulder, putting pressure on it and causing me to flinch.

My eyes widened in horror when I saw her pull out a needle and thread. "D-Do I really need stitches? Weren't my last pair working fine!?"

"They snapped, Miss Alexis." She-She didn't just call me that, did she? "They need replaced." I didn't even notice her take out my old ones! I flinched and held back a cry of pain when the needle dug into my skin, feeling the thread brushing and passing through the meat and flesh. I held my breath, trying my hardest not to cry out in pain. I had never really gotten stitches before, and I only gotten the one pair when that doctor knocked me out with anesthesia. Then again, I think when I had my lung surgery the Doctors had to stitch me back up... I don't really remember actually. I was just happy to breath normally again.

It took a few minutes, but she tied the thread and snipped off the left over string. She then placed a bandage over my wound, slapping it for good measure, and causing me to cry out loudly.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR!?"

"It was to make sure that it stays on."

"It _hurt!_"

"You're as childish as Lord Nightmare."

"I AM NOT! He's much worse than me!"

"Indeed. At least a child can act her age, whereas he acts like a spoiled brat at times."

"_Okaay_, that was just mean."

She shrugged. "The only one who can get him to behave is Mister Gray, and even then it's troublesome."

"You realize he can hear your thoughts, right?"

"You realize I don't really care, right?"

"..."

"..."

"I like you." I stated with a grin, causing her to smile at me. "What's your name?"

"...I am a Faceless. We do not need names."

"Bullcrap," I stated, causing her to lean her head back and look at me in surprise. "Everyone needs names. Have you never picked a kitten up off the street and named it something silly? What's your name?"

"I...I am Leia."

"Hey, that's a pretty name! I'm Alexis!" I beamed, smiling widely at her. Suddenly the door slammed open with Nightmare, Gray, _and _Pierce all running in. Well, Gray and Pierce ran, while Nightmare panted and jogged in exhaustion, blood trailing down his chin from all his coughing fits. "Hi!" I grinned nervously and waved. Then I screamed, Pierce having tackled me. Nightmare looked like he wanted to do the same, but was too out of breathe to do so. Even Gray had a look of worry on his face.

All of these things confused me. I didn't understand _why _they were so worried.

"Ow, ow, ow-Pierce-_!_" A startled scream leapt up into my throat, but didn't escape, when he suddenly nuzzled my neck. I tensed and arched my back, my shoulder scrunching up as my arms were held awkwardly in the air as my eyes grew wide. "P-P-P-_Pierce!?_" My voice squeaked.

"Wawawawaaaa! I-I thought that bad kitty got you! Th-Then you s-s-said A-Ace was w-w-with you a-and your h-heart started to b-break and-and you started to bleed-!"

"H-Hey! S-Stop-Stop that! Stop crying!" What was I supposed to do!? I looked behind Pierce's head at Nightmare and Gray for help, who merely looked on amused. Nightmare then made a gesture with his arms, which confused me (Did I mention that I was bad at charades?) Seeing my confused look, Nightmare chuckled quietly to himself while placing a hand on his chin, crossing one arm over his chest as he stood up straight, shaking his head at me.

_Jerk! You're supposed to help me, not smirk amused-ly! G-Gah! Stop crying already! _Wait, wait! Um, I don't know!

W-Wait...Pierce likes hugs right? You hug someone to comfort them? A brief memory of Nightmare hugging popped up in my mind and I quickly, though awkwardly, wrapped my arms around Pierce.

"S-Stop-Stop crying already." Pierce only seemed to cry harder, but paused a moment and hiccuped in confusion. Damn it, this isn't working! Tighter hug? I settled with that and tightened my grip on him, causing him to tense. Oh, that seemed to work! Uh, now what?

Nightmare seemed to be trying his hardest not to laugh, holding onto Gray's arm with one hand while his other was clamped over his mouth. Tears were practically forming in his eyes. Gray seemed to be looking at Nightmare like he was about to scold him, but there was an amused smirk on his face as well. Leia was just laughing freely at my misery. And here I thought she was nice...Che.

"I..." I didn't want to admit this. Damn it, this is embarrassing. Them laughing at me isn't making this any easier! Nightmare's face was practically blue at this point, as he was holding his breathe in an attempt to stop himself from laughing. "I-I don't...I don't know what to_ do_ when people cry, so stop _crying already!_" I felt like I was going to cry myself at this point. This was utterly humiliating. I don't even know what I _did _to make Pierce cry, and yet here I am with no knowledge of comforting people and everyone is just laughing at me for it! "A-Am I supposed to keep hugging you or what!?"

Pierce sniffled, holding back his sobs, before leaning his head back to look at me. I tensed, frozen at the look on his face. "Alexis..." I felt my face warm up-then again, I'm fairly certain it was already extremely red to begin with-starting from the moment he tackled me and began to bawl his eyes out. He sniffled again, and out of instinct I reached forward and brushed his hair out of his face, revealing both of his eyes. He looked at me in surprise. I quickly retracted my hand and turned my head, huffing.

"I-It's uncomfortable when your hair sticks to your face while crying, isn't it?" At least, I thought it was. I then realized he was still sitting on my lap and I froze again. Pierce's ears twitched and he freaked, screaming.

"Y-You're h-heart is breaking again! D-Doctor! Doctor!" He pressed his ear against my chest to hear my heartbeat speed up before looking around frantically, trying to figure out what to do.

Nightmare couldn't hold it in. He collapsed against Gray as he cried, laughing so hard blood spurted out of his mouth. Gray stopped his chuckling and tried to get Nightmare to calm down.

"M-My heart isn't breaking, Pierce!" I cried out, leaning back against the floor as his face leaned in close to mine. Tears were welling back up in his eyes again. Damn it. I just got him to stop, too.

"Y-Yes it is! F-Feel it!" he grabbed my hand, and at the same time, pressed it against my chest as he leaned his ear against my hand. It was surprisingly fluffy... Wait, no zoning back! "I-It's g-going too f-fast! I-It's b-breaking!" My face flushed again.

"It-It's called racing, stupid!" I yelled, placing my hands on his shoulders and pushing him off my chest. He looked at me in confusion.

"H-Huh?"

"I-It does that when I-when I get scared or-or nervous or-or anxious or stuff like that!"

"Scared? A-Am I scaring you?" He broke down crying again and started to get up to run, but I quickly reacted and shot up, tackling _him _to the ground. "Gah! L-Let me g-go! You-You ha-hate me! I-I'm sorry! I don't know what I did, but I'm s-sorry!"

"You're not scaring me, damn it!"

Gray looked alarmed at my use of language, causing Nightmare to stop laughing instantly, being able to read his thoughts. His gray eye widened in alarm.

"Th-Then why d-do you hate me!?"

"I don't hate you!" This was such a weird position. I had tackled him around the waist, so my head was against his lowerback.

"Th-Then why d-does your h-heart k-keep racing!?" I snapped.

"BECAUSE YOU'RE MAKING ME FLUSTERED!" I froze when I realized what I said, the entire room becoming silent.

...

"F-Flustered?"

"YES!" I had a _looong _couple of time periods. I admitted angrily, "I've never had a guy so close to me before and it was making me flustered, okay!? I'm not used to people contact! That's why I freak out so much when you hug me all the time! My heart races because I'm nervous! Are you happy!? Now stop crying, damn it!"

Feeling Pierce start to move, I released him, ignoring the pain in my shoulder. I sat up and huffed, scowling. Wow, I seem to be doing that a lot here, huh? And to think I used to be all smiles. Pierce sat up with his legs sprawled out to his sides, his hands on the floor between them and in front of him, his green eye staring at me thoughtfully. He blinked. "So...you're heart's racing because...I'm making you flustered?"

"D-Don't say it like _that!_ You-You make it sound so..." Embarrassing. "You make it sound weird." I looked at him out of the corner of my eyes, head still turned. "So-So, yeah..."

Nightmare just seemed to be smiling to himself in amusement, before casting nervous glances towards Gray every now and then.

...I'm gonna get it later, aren't I? Well, Gray isn't too scary...so I should be fine.

_I hope_, I thought, feeling a twinge of fear as I bit my lip. I remembered the first time I cursed in front of my Aunt-the woman who defined me.

_SMACK_

_My head was turned painfully to the side, my mouth aching painfully from where my Aunt had slapped me. She glared at me. _

_"Young ladies are not mean to use such vile language! Go to the bathroom and wash your mouth out with soap, NOW!" I nodded silently, not saying anything except for in my mind in which I insulted her loudly, trudging to the bathroom. "Back straight!" _

_I wasn't a fan of my aunt. I didn't hate her; no, I loved her. It was only when I slip up that she got mad. I was ten-I didn't really know that "damn" was a bad word. I heard my brother use it once when he was fighting with our dad, and I was fighting with my aunt so I used it. I never got out, so I never really KNEW what the bad words were until I turned eleven. I didn't know what "dirty jokes" or their innuendos were until I turned fourteen. Every time I asked what something was, my friends stared at me weirdly before crying about how "innocent" I was. I just didn't understand what they were talking about. _

_I wanted to be able to talk to them and have a conversation. Not the short-snipped ones I had with them now. Unfortunately when I learned what they were talking about, I never wanted to ask for a definition again. _

_I tried not to gag at the taste of soap. Unfortunately, it didn't work and I had to walk over to the toilet quickly to rid myself of my stomach acids. _

_My aunt was nice...until a female member of her family cursed. Then she snapped. _

_Luckily, I never visited her much. It was also because of her that I became who I am today; wiping mouth with napkins when you get sauce spilled on your cheek, walking straight with your head up... It was because of her that I was scared of being yelled at and hated. _

"Alexis..." I heard Nightmare mumble my name I flinched, realizing he just saw that whole thing. I forgot he could read minds. Damn...the only solitude and comfort I even give myself is _in _my mind... This was going to be tricky keeping my thoughts to myself.

Arms quickly wrapped around my shoulders I screamed, tumbling back as kisses were planted frantically all over my face. I put my mouth in another thin line as I squeezed my eyes shut. "Chuu, chuu, chuu~!"

"H-Hey! Pierce, stop that!" Pierce pulled away with a pout.

"B-But-But you looked so cute and s-sad-!"

"Me, cute, and sad, do not go in the same sentence." I deadpanned, putting my hand on his shoulders as I tried to push him off of me again. "Now, get off-!" My eyes widened considerably when something soft and warm pressed against my lips. Pierce's arms around me tightened before he removed his mouth from mine, kissing my cheeks instead.

Th-Th-That-That-That di-That didn't c-count! N-No-No feeling in it! Y-yeah! L-Like-Like what R-Ren told K-Kyoko in _S-Skip Beat_! It-It doesn't count if there's-if there's no feeling in it! J-Just don't-just don't let it happen again.

I felt really shaken for some reason and I didn't know why. Seeing his lips come down towards my face again, I released his shoulders and reached a hand up to his chin, grabbing it and holding his face away from mine.

Pierce furrowed his brows and said, "This hand-I-I can't "chuu" you with your hand in the way, Alexis!" Th-That's kind of my point, Pierce! "Why won't you let me "chuu" you?"

"B-Because I-I've-I've gotten e-enough "Chuu"s for today!" I said and swallowed, blinking multiple times as I inhaled. This was really weird. "Y-You're cute an all, but-but no."

"S-So...you _do _hate-"

"Damn it, for the last time, I _don't hate you!_ I'm never going to hate you so get that stupid thought out of your stupid cheesy head! Do you just have a bunch of mousetraps in there or what?"

"N-No..." Then he did something that surprised me. He unwrapped his arms from around me and grabbed my wrist, kissing the palm of my hand instead. My eyes widened. "Can I bite you?"

"_No!" _My voice squeaked, and I was saved by Gray when he pulled Pierce off of me.

"I think that's enough affection for one day, don't you think, Pierce?" Nightmare ran over, having regained his oxygen, and knelt down, helping me stand. I made a face, still trying to calm my beating heat.

_"You're only here for twenty time periods and you already got one falling head over heels. When can I plan the wedding?" _

My face flared at the suggestion and I quickly slammed my elbow into his side, causing him to grunt and whine, releasing me.

_SHUT UP, NIGHTMARE! I JUST MET THE DUDE, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT! And stop using my jokes! _

_"I can assure you I came up with that one myself." _Nightmare grinned at me, causing me to scowl at him with a blush on my face. I raised my fist up and punched him in the shoulder, causing him to chuckle. _"Your little scene with the dormouse was rather interesting." _

_Yeah, sure, says you, Mr. Laughing-my-ass-of-while-rolling-on-floor-laughing.  
_

_"Now THAT one wasn't original." _

_Shut up! You don't even know how to text! _

_"I don't need to know in order to be able to read your mind." _

"GRAY! Nightmare's being mean to me~!"

"Lord Nightmare, stop making fun of Alexis in mental dialogue."

"B-But Gray-!" He was silenced with a glare. I then froze when the glare was focused on me-although it softened slightly. It was still harsh though, and I could hear Pierce crying on the other side of the door, as Gray had kicked him out, uh, "Have a word" with me.

"Lord Nightmare, may I have a moment alone with Alexis?"

Nightmare hesitated, sending me a worried look. I stared up at him blankly, basically telling him I could handle it in my mind. Nightmare seemed unconvinced however, and tried to say, "Gray, I don't think-"

"Just go before Gray beats you, Nightmare." I sighed, even if I appreciated what he was trying to do. All that was going to happen was a lecture and a slap to the face-nothing too big. "I'll be fine. I doubt he's going to actually kill me. That's Elliot's job."

Nightmare frowned, before leaving the room to calm down a frantic Pierce. I could hear Nightmare cry out in protest about Pierce trying to kiss him, which made me snort loudly and clamp a hand over my face in embarrassment.

"Alexis...what made you use such foul language?"

"Bad day."

"And what could have _happened _in this day that caused you curse?" His gold eyes flashed and I tensed, but remained bored-faced. I kept looking him in the eyes. If I looked away I'd get yelled at. It was bad enough he was being this calm. "It is not good for a young lady such as yourself to curse."

So I'm told... I nodded silently, waiting for the lecture to be over with so I could hurry and receive my slap so I could leave and ask Nightmare my question.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Yes. You said it was no proper for a "young lady" such a myself to curse." When was he going to slap me? Aunt Tammy did it all the time. "Anything else, Gray?"

He frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Are you testing me?"

"No." I replied monotone, voice softer than the loud one I usually use. Gray noticed and his frown deepened. "I was just merely asking a question out of curiosity." Did he hate me now? I wouldn't surprised. I don't even understand why he and Nightmare are still letting me stay in the tower. I was a jerk.

_"I don't care who your mother was; I don't care who your father IS! He may tolerate your smart-ass, but I won't! Keep that foul mouth of yours in tact and I'll have you drink shampoo!" _

_SMACK _

_"Go to your room!" It wasn't even my room. It was just the guestroom she had me enter whenever I "misbehaved". I was completely silent during the whole thing. My cheek stung. _

"You may go now."

I snapped out of it and looked up at him in alarm, "Wait, what? That's all? No slap or anything? No screaming? You're not mad?"

Gray looked slightly appalled at my questions. "Why on earth would I slap you?"

"Because you're an adult! All adults smack kids for cursing! Aunt Tammy always did that when I said something bad!" What the hell? "She even smacked me for making a sarcastic comment; why aren't you doing anything!? I cursed and yelled at Pierce-why aren't you mad at me!?"

"Because that's no reason to _be _mad at you!" I took a step back, stunned silent as I looked up at the older man. "What kind of Aunt did you grow up with?"

"A strict one." I responded easily before saying, still utterly confused, "Don't all adults yell at kids?" I saw him raise a hand I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut. Instead of a sharp pain forming in the side of my face, I felt a huge hand ruffling my hair.

"I'm not going to yell at you. I'm just upset with your choice of words, Alexis. Nothing more, nothing less. You don't need to be so scared around me, or Lord Nightmare. Not all adults are as "strict" as your aunt."

"Y-Yeah..." For some reason, I felt like crying. It was so weird. I wasn't use to this kind of treatment. Due to my brother and my father always being at work, when she was available, she came over to "watch" me. Most of the time I was home alone, but she had her special occasion where she paid me a visit. "Do...Does Wonderland have any showers? Or-Or is it only baths?" Gray looked surprised at my question before chuckling.


	8. Forbidden Doors

_I was wandering this blank abyss-which still looked like a badly painted outer space art project. My eyes were closed, as I was seeing if I could fall asleep within a dream, and I was just walking in a slow pace, my breathing calm and neutral. There were things that were passing through my mind-things such as my old friends, my new friends, why Pierce was so kissy, why Ace was so deranged, and if my old friends hated me for leaving them, and if my new friends hated me for coming here. _

_Pierce...I don't think hates me. I think he thinks that I hate him. Which I don't. He's utterly adorable. Though all the affection can get on my nerves. _

_I wish I knew how Sarah, Jack, and Erin were doing... Dad. Brother... _

_I found a door in front of me. It was a french glass door, and through it I could make out the image of a young man tinkering with something on his bed in a very, very messy bedroom. He had shaggy dirty-blonde hair that hung in his face and brown eyes. He was lean, with quite a bit of arm muscle, and was decked out in a small brown vest with a pink button-up underneath, the sleeves rolled up. He wore khakis, and his glasses looked like they were about to fall off of his handsome face._

_"Derek..." My brother. He loved to fix things. I may have been the only one out of our family who didn't want to build or fix things, but I was a workaholic just like them. I'd stay up until five o-clock on a school night typing fanfiction without getting up to eat or drink anything. Not very healthy, but it was kinda how our family worked. _

_I turned my head and found another door-this one a stained glass. It had flowers decorated on it in the colors of blue, red, and green. Inside was Sarah, laughing at something Jack said before glancing nervously at her phone. She appeared to be waiting nervously for a text. _

_The last door-an old Russian rustic door-held a small mail-opener in it, that allowed me to lift it up and peek inside. Messy brown hair and dark eyes, arguing fervently with a police officer. He looked very similar to Derek, with the high cheek bones and the stubborn chin. They even had the same forehead. He wore a magenta sweater, as he gets cold rather easily, and plain jeans with a sneakers. His glasses were rectangular and made his eyes stand out. _

_This was my father. The nicest man on earth, on par with my brother of course, who'd try to spend as much time with his family as he could. Teach them the ways of the sarcasm in order to defend themselves, and how to outwit people. He also gave the occasional history lecture just to make sure we knew something of importance. _

_Why History was important, I still had no idea, but that was my opinion. _

_But, I did know one thing... One door. I had to open only one door in this dream. Before I even realized the decision I made, I turned around and moved to the stained glass door, grabbing the silver handle and pushing it down, pulling the door open. I closed my eyes at the sudden bright light that appeared, and when I deemed it safe I opened them. _

_Sarah was on her bed sleeping, and she looked more tired than I had ever seen her in my life. She was generally always so awake. Out of the corner of my eyes I noticed how the edges of the room, like the corners and the door that lead out of her room, were faded. I walked over to the girl, and the strongest urge to cry formed. _

_It was completely different than from when I was texting her on the phone. I could actually **see **her and it...hurt even worse. Reaching over, I gently touched her arm and poked it multiple times, trying to get her to wake up. I forgot how deep a sleeper she was. "Sarah...Sarah. Sarah! Wake up! Sarah!" Not even a budge. I grabbed her arms and started to shake, raising my voice, "SARAH!" She yawned and rolled over to her back, groggily opening her eyes and asking, _

_"What is it, Alexis...? I said that I was skipping clarinet practice..." _

_"Yeah, well, Windfall for Woodwinds is about to happen and you're one of the main players!" _

_She scowled at me, pouting, before blinking. Once. Twice. "ALEXIS!" She tackled me. Normally it was I who tackled **her**, and her actions confused me for a second. "Oh, my god! Where were you!? What happened!? I was so worried; Jack's been crankier than usual and it's been pissing me off! Even Erin's more of a jerk than usual!" _

_Yeah...I never really understood what her issue with Erin was, other than his rude comments. But Erin and I were friends since Elementary and he hung out with Sarah and Jack because I did and they were my friends. Erin was a moody guy-dark hair and light eyes, and wore even more black than I did. However he was just as childish as Jack, which I found pretty funny. "H-Hey! What-What's wrong?" I awkwardly wrapped my arms around her, not completely sure on what to do. _

_"What's wrong is that you left so suddenly! It's been weeks!" _

_"What; no it hasn't! It's been, like, three-four days!" _

_Sarah pulled away and looked at me in surprise. "Are you...sure about that?" _

_"Uh, yeah...I mean, it's a little different in Wonderland because of all the time periods and stuff, but I have my phone with me so I've been able to keep track of what day is was! Yesterday was Tuesday." _

_Sarah paused and made a face, before turning her head, "Okay, fine...It hasn't been **weeks**...I just missed you." _

_"Aw! I missed you too!" I squealed and hugged her, "I luvvles you!" _

_She hugged me back, "Yeah, yeah. I love you, too."_

_"Yes!" My best friend doesn't hate me. "So...How's life?" _

_"Pretty boring. It's weird not having you and Jack fighting over me constantly." I winced and pulled away from her, turning my head as I scratched my neck uncomfortably. _

_"Uh...yeah...Sorry about that." _

_"What about you? How's it going in Wonderland? Were you really shot?" _

_"Huh; Oh, yeah. See?" I pulled down my shirt collar to show her the bandage. "It doesn't hurt much since it's a dream. Nightmare's probably numbing it for me or something. I have no idea how dream demons work. But it's cool. Elliot apologized and stuff." _

_"Elliot?" _

_"The evil rabbit who shot me." _

_"Where is he!? I'll punch him in the face-" _

_"Whoa! Calm down! It's all good!" _

_"Wait, who's this "Nightmare"? Is he one of the men in the picture you sent me?" I looked surprised, but grinned. _

_"Yeah! He's the silver-haired one." I was tempted to call him a pirate, but refrained. _

_"I am not a pirate!" I jumped and Sarah looked behind me confused, before realization lit her face. I whirled around to see Nightmare floating with his arms crossed, a smoke pipe in his hand. The idiot. "I am not! I'm an important person! The Almighty me even decided to pay a visit and see how the little Dreamer and her friend were doing." _

_Dreamer...why did that sound familiar? Wait, if I'm dreaming, how am I even talking to Sarah? Is this... No. No, no, no. It's definitely Sarah. It has to be Sarah. If it's not Sarah... I swallowed and furrowed my eyebrows, blinking multiple times to hold back the tears. I looked up at Nightmare and asked, "What's a dreamer?" _

_"Dreamer," He corrected, "With a capital D. Similar to an Incubus, but not." _

_I felt irritation at his words. "I swear to god, Nightmare, if a Dream is **anything **like a Succubus, I'm gonna-" _

_Sarah cut in, "Wait, wait-**You're **Nightmare? The dude who had that rabbit or whatever kidnap Alexis?" _

_"It wasn't really a kidnapping-" Nightmare began, but was cut off with a slap to the face. Blood spurted out of his mouth, causing Sarah to retreat in alarm. _

_"I-I didn't hit you that hard! Wh-Why are you bleeding!?" _

_Nightmare spat out what blood remained in his mouth and wiped at the remnants that were on his lips with his purple handkerchief. "You...foreigners all seem to pack **quite **the personality..." I had an urge to run over and see if he was okay-as his coughing fits can get pretty violent-but held myself back. It was a dream, so...he wouldn't feel it in the morning? Nightmare, once he regained himself, stood up straight despite how pale he was looking. "I'm a sickly dream demon. But I **am **a Nightmare, miss Sarah. Indeed, it was I who had Peter grab Alexis and bring her to Wonderland. A new game was needed to begin, and she was the perfect contestant." _

_Now Nightmare's sounding slightly like a jerk, but his words were confusing. "Wait, hold on," Sarah started, frowning. "What made her the perfect contestant?" _

_Something about me being sad... I was too busy crying to really pay that much attention before. _

_"She was upset. Something was holding her back from being happy, and Wonderland is giving her a **chance **to **achieve **that happiness." _

_Sarah's head turned over to look at me, alarmed and worried. "What were you upset about?" _

_How... Out of the two of them, it was only ever Jack who noticed I was upset. When my father took an airplane for a business trip, and I was worried about if it was safe or not for him to be on a plane, Jack was the one who asked if something was wrong. He said I looked "mopier" than usual. Another time when I was by myself upset because Sarah didn't want to talk to me, he tried to cheer me up, knowing I was still upset. Every time I was upset, he noticed. Every time I was upset, Sarah never really did. Erin only figured I was upset when I was quiet. That wasn't the case. I was only quiet when I was tired and bored. When I'm sad, I force a smile. When I'm sad, I try to hide my face, so I curl up in a ball and act like I'm sleeping. Jack knew better. Jack was a true friend. _

_"I wasn't upset about anything!" I protested, causing Nightmare to stare at me with a raised eyebrow. I bit my lip, faltering slightly. Nightmare could read my mind perfectly. "I...I was just..." I didn't want to admit it. I turned my head, scowling. Sarah looked surprised at the face I made. "Lonely. Okay? I was lonely. Are you happy now, Nightmare? I admitted it." Where was a wall that I could bang my head off of? "How is conversation even happening? It's a dream." _

_"Because you're the Dreamer." _

_"Just what is that already!?" I demanded, half tempted to start cursing. I held back, however, as I had already received one lecture. "You haven't told me anything!" _

_"A Dreamer..." Nightmare paused, looking at me. "It appears you're about to wake up. Well, in that case, I'll inform Sarah on the details." _

_"ARGH! Nightmare! The only reason you're in this dream is because you're hiding from Gray, isn't it!? I'll wake you up myself!" _

_"That's if you can find me," He said with an amused smirk. _

_"STOP SMOKING! You're sick enough already!" _

_It all faded. _

"NIGHTMARE!" I screamed, running around the hallways until I slammed the door open to his room. "WHAT THE HECK IS A DREAMER!? THAT BETTER NOT BE A SUCCUBUS!" I looked up at the sound of a girly shriek (Which was rather hilarious since he had a really deep voice) and saw Nightmare falling from a chandelier. I was horrified. "Nightmare!"

Suddenly Gray leapt out of the shadows like a ninja, soaring through the air as he caught Nightmare bridal style. He landed on his feet with ease and set a trembling Nightmare on the ground. Nightmare quickly cleared his throat and stood up, wiping his bloody mouth off with his handkerchief.

Gray then glared at Nightmare, who squeaked and took a step back. "What have you been filling Alexis' mind with, Lord Nightmare? Have you finally given into the desire all Incubi hold?"

Both Nightmare and I looked disgusted at Gray's suggestion. "Gray! She's fifteen!" Nightmare exclaimed, utterly horrified.

"Dude! He's, like, thirty!" I was traumatized at the very thought. "He'd be a pedophile!"

"I'm in my twenties!" Nightmare protested, "And I'm not a pedophile!"

"Big difference! You're still a decade older than me!"

"Hardly!"

Gray cut in, still fixing a dark look on the Incubus, "Lord Nightmare, what is this I hear about Alexis being a Succubus?"

Nightmare and I cried out at the same time, both of us protesting to me being a Succubus.

"I couldn't seduce anyone even if I wanted to!" I added, mortified at the image in my head. Nightmare looked just as traumatized-so, either he had the same thoughts as me, or he read my mind. Probably the latter. "I just wanted to know what a Dreamer was! He said I was one, and he's an Incubus, and I haven't met any Succubi yet, so I was asking if that was what a dreamer was!"

Nightmare quickly cleared up, stress lines on his face, "You are _far _from a Succubus. So please, Gray, don't ever put those frightening thoughts in my head _ever again." _

"Yeah," I mumbled in agreement, scratching my neck uncomfortably. "My head either..." I think I was more terrified of Gray's suggestion about Nightmare then me actually being a Succubus. That was just disturbing to think about.

"My apologies, but what I heard would cause you to be in a misunderstanding as well." Nightmare and I both sighed, relieved that Gray was no longer accusing any one of us of anything frightening.

"Yeah..."

"Understandable. Now-Dreamer, Nightmare. Explain. Before I make Gray make you do your paperwork." Nightmare scowled at me. I grinned at him.

"I said it before. A dreamer is a person who walks in dreams-whether it be their own or someone else's. They can also connect dreams, much like an Incubus, and lock them together. You can't bring bad _or _good dreams-you can only walk in them and change the outcome by your appearance and your actions inside the dream. A Dreamer is a weaker role than the Caterpillar, but is still considered powerful. In a way, if you choose to stay in Wonderland, you'd have to take upon the role of the Dreamer and become my apprentice. Does that make sense? Every foreigner has a "role" if they were to stay."

"...What's Alice's role?"

"Blood's secretary and personal assistant."

"Oh...Wait, aren't they married though?" So personal assistant probably means... _Ew! _

Nightmare coughed up blood, sending me a wide-eyed look. "Don't think those kind of things!"

I flinched and raised my hands up in front of me, "Sorry!" Ugh. High School and fanfiction ruins your mind, I swear. "S-So, I'm not-I'm not actually a role-holder?"

"No. You will only _become _a role-holder if you decide to remain in Wonderland even after your vial is filled."

"Oh..Okay, that makes some sense." I think. So, basically, if I decide to stay, I become Nightmare's assistant and walk around in dreams?

...Cool. At least I'm not a Succubus. I grinned happily, clapping my hands together.

"Awesome! So, what are the plans for today? Beat Nightmare up and make him work?"

"NO! I-I uh, have a better plan! Let's NOT beat Nightmare up and make him work and instead let him sleep peacefully for the next time period!" Gray narrowed his eyes and Nightmare froze.

Yeah...he should have realized Gray wasn't going to let him go so...so- "ACHOO!" Both Nightmare and Gray's heads whipped over to look at me, alarmed.

"Bless you! Are you okay? That sounded like it hurt." Nightmare said, frowning. Gray moved over and knelt down in front of me, placing a hand on my forehead.

"Are you coming down sick? If that is the case, then I can prepare supper for tonight."

_"Are you sick again, honey?" My dad asked, frowning as he sat on my bed next to me, looking worriedly at the thermometer. "104.2. You should stay home today. I can drive over to the school and pick up your homework-" _

_"No!" I protested, trying to get out of the bed. Instead of actually getting out, darkness enveloped my vision along with an agonizing headache, my vision blurring considerably as I fell back against the sheets. I breathed heavily while squeezing my eyes shut. "I-I'm fine...I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine..." _

_"You're hardly this sick! You've never collapsed in the middle of the livingroom before! You're staying home." _

_"No, I'm not! I'm going to school-" I reached a hand up to grab him, but ended up blacking again from all the movement. I broke out into a coughing fit and groaned, laying on my side painfully. "F-Fine...Jerk." _

_"I love you too, sweetie." _

_"Shut up...love you, too." I mumbled, looking away from my father. He smiled at me sadly before leaving the room, off to make a bowl of chicken noodle soup. I curled up into a ball, resisting the urge to cry. "I love you..." I felt like one day I was going to wake up and my father would be gone just like my mother. Dead and six feet in the ground. That he'd leave me to rot in this house. I knew he wouldn't, though. It wasn't in his character. _

"I-I'm fine." I stammered, diverting my gaze away from the Gray. "Do-Do you need to head down to town again or-?"

"No, you can stay at the Tower if you wish. Then again, Miss Alice was looking for you the other day along with the Cheshire Cat."

"What, why?" Why would they be doing that? Why would _anyone _be looking for me?

"Because they wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"I'm not sure about the _exact _topic, Alexis, but I'm sure they merely wanted to get to know you."

"Why would they want to do that?"

"Because you're a new foreigner."

"So? What's that have to do with anything?"

"Alexis..." Gray trailed, staring at me with a frown. I quickly lunged forward and hugged the guy, grinning sheepishly, "You know you love me! You wonder, but you do!" I quickly release the surprise adult and backed away. I was aiming to surprise, and I think it worked. So far, other than in my dream, I haven't _really _tackled anyone-or found anyone "tackle worthy". Who was fun to tackle?

...Hm... I cast a glance at Nightmare, who blinked down at me, then back at Gray, who was currently ruffling my hair. I then remembered Pierce, who I _may _have tackled once or twice because he was so cute. Oh, and that time when he tried to run away because he was crying about me hating him... Ace? No, he's too crazy. Who wouldn't hate me if I tackled them?

My mind kept going back to Nightmare, as he seemed to be the one person I could think of, other than Pierce, who wouldn't hate me for tackling them. But, then again, I could be wrong and he _does _hate me... I mean, I wouldn't blame him. But what reason would he have for hating me?

Knowing my luck, it was the same reason as those girls back at my school.

_"The boys will hog all the food!" _

_"Hey, I'm a girl!" _

_"You don't count." I gaped at the girl, offended and confused at the same time. She was one of the bullies who I actually tried to be nice to. She once asked me to draw her a picture of her and boyfriend, so I did, and she put in her binder for people to see as she said she liked it. I don't understand why she was being so mean to me now, even when I picked her things up for her off the ground when they fell off of her desk. She and quite a few other girls were mean to me... I didn't know why. _

_Normally, I would bite back with a sarcastic remark, but I was in a fairly good mood, and I refused to let her ruin it for me._

Hm...Strange. I'll never understand how people work. I was about to walk away when I felt someone hug me tightly. I froze, knowing who it was instantly. I only knew _one _person who could read thoughts. I kept forgetting about that small fact though, because, quite frankly, it wasn't really normal from where I come from.

_"I don't hate you." _

I bit my lip, frowning. That was what they all said... I didn't want to believe a single word I heard, but it was slowly starting to become more difficult _not _too.

"Lord Nightmare?" Gray questioned in confusion, before realizing Nightmare must have read my mind and that we were having a mental dialogue of some sort. I _know _that they don't _hate _me, but it-it was that _doubt _that... Ugh, I'm such a pessimist.

I felt Nightmare chuckle and ruffle my hair, causing me to scowl. "I thought you were a realist?"

"I _am_. I'm just...mental." Yeah, that seemed like a good word to use. "There's not that much difference," I settled with, nodding my head to confirm it. I felt a sneeze coming on, but held it back and yawned. "Well, I suppose I should go say hi to Alice and Boris..." It would kinda mean if I didn't, since they were looking for me and all... Oh, good god, am I really going soft!?_ NUUUUUU!_

Nightmare laughed at me.

"Shut up!" He then pulled me into another hug, startling me and causing me to tense from the sudden contact. I made myself relax after a moment though.

"Don't come back so late this time. You had us worried."

"Indeed. And if you end up in any trouble again..." There was a threat laced in Gray's tone, basically telling me to run to him for help. I pity the poor people who got on his bad side. I mock-saluted, pulling away from Nightmare's hug.

"Aye-Aye, Cap'n! Don't give Nightmare too hard a time, alright?"

"Only if he promises to do his work _properly _and _ not_ argue over his doctor appointments." Nightmare let out an indignant cry, which in all honesty made me laugh. Ah...now where to find Boris and not bump into Ace?

I was more worried about bumping into that crazy Knight then I was of finding Boris, as in all honesty, Ace is _everywhere_. He gets so lost, that if you end up lost yourself, you get found by him and vice versa. And me, being as directionally-challenged as I am, did not find that a very good thing.

...

_"Open me~~!" _

_"No, no, me! Me~!" _

"Shut up!"

_"Over here, Alexis! Alexis, open me!" _

"I refuse! Now shut up! You're annoying. I'm not opening you! I was told by Nightmare not to open you, so therefore I'm not opening you!"

_"Open me, please!" _

"NO!"

_"Please! Open me!" _I was reaching the end of my patience. This "open me" thing was going on for the last ten minutes, and it was starting to drive me insane. _"Over here! Here! Open me!" _

I stopped walking, glaring around at all the doors on the trees. "If I open you...will you shut the hell up!?"

_"Open me!" _I angrily stormed over to the door and clamped my hand over the handle, fully prepared to open it.

"CHUU!"

"_GYAH!_"

Warm lips pressed against my the side of my head against my temple, strong arms wrapping around me as a male body slammed into mine, sending me tumbling onto the ground. "Ow! Pierce, what the heck?" I turned my head to glare at him, but quickly froze as lips pressed against mine.

N-NOT A KISS! I REFUSE!

I quickly leaned my head back, alarmed at the foreign feeling, and stared at him with wide eyes. He smiled at me and wrapped his arms tighter around my waist, pressing his twitching ear against my chest. "W-W-What are you d-doing?"

"Eh!? It's racing against, chuu!"

"What-What the heck is "chuu"?" At first I thought it meant "kiss", but obviously this was not the case.

"Hm?" Pierce lifted his head, resting his chin on my chest and causing me to tense uncomfortably and awkwardly, smiling. "Chuu is Chuu."

"...What; do you say "Squeaking squeaker squeakers" instead of pig latin?"

"Ehh? No! Ah-You're so cute!"

"_Hah!?_ Wah-!" I was quickly assaulted with more kisses, and I barely turned my head in time to avoid getting my mouth molested again. "S-Stop that! N-No-No k-kissing!"

"B-Because it makes you flustered? You're heart's racing again."

"Y-yes! Be-Because of that!" Pierce sat up, still on top of me might I add, and tilted his head as he looked down at me. I eyed him suspiciously, expecting another assault from the adorable mouse-boy. Why do I still bother with him? Oh, right. Because I'm "nice". "What?"

"...You said that you were never this close to a guy before. Does that mean you never kissed one-chu?"

"O-O-O-_Obviously! _Why do you think I get so mad at you about it?"

"Because you're a foreigner...Ah! I-I'm sorry!" He leaned down and hugged me, causing me to tense in surprise. "I-I'm so s-sorry! I made you unhappy!"

"H-Hey-Hey! It's-it's fine! No-NO! No crying! I say no crying, damn you!"

"But I-I made you u-upset! Y-You're mad at me!"

"I'm not mad at you! S-So stop crying!" Pierce froze suddenly, his ear twitching. "P-Pierce?" His face went pale and stress lines formed underneath his eyes, fear obvious in his forest green orbs. "What's wrong?"

"C...C-Ca-Ca..." He appeared too terrified to speak. He was trembling, his grip on me tightening considerably. Slowly, Pierce turned his head around slowly, and a silent scream passed through his lips. "CAT!"

"Whoa-!" I shouted as Pierce yanked himself off of me before grabbing my wrist and pulling me onto my feet. He started to run, Boris chasing after us with a greedy look in his amber eye as he held a fork and knife in his hands.

"Come back here, Pierce!"

"N-N-No! Scary cat, scary cat, scary cat, scary cat, scary-! _Waahahahaha!" _Pierce cried, tears streaming down his face as he quickened his pace. I screamed as I tried to avoid tripping over my feet. My shoe laces came undone.

"W-Wait!"

"H-He'll eat us!" Pierce protested.

"BORIS STOP CHASING PIERCE ALREADY!" I demanded, screaming.

"Then tell him to stop running!" Boris shouted. "Let me catch him!"

"No! I-If I s-stop running th-then y-you'll c-catch me, and-and if you c-catch me then-then you'll _eat _me!"

All I wanted to do was find Alice. I found Boris-who's currently chasing us, so he was off my checklist. Time to meet the Wonderful WonderGirl of Wonderland. Wait, where was she? Oh! Now I remember. Since she's married to Blood, she'd be at the Hatter's Mansion-

The blood drained out of my face at the memory of Elliot shooting at me, and that lack of concentration caused me to step on my unlaced shoelace and send me flying into Pierce, who cried out as we rolled across the ground down a hill. Before I realized what I did I had pulled Pierce to me protectively, one arm around his back and my other hand behind his head, as if that would stop him from getting his skull cracked open. As we flew through the air, bumping off the ground multiple times, I felt Pierce wrap his arms around my back.

I grunted as we rolled straight into a tree, stopping. I released Pierce and groaned, rubbing my poor abused head. "Ow...Well, that was fun." I mumbled sarcastically, feeling Pierce shift from on top of me. He lifted himself up, using his hands and knees to keep himself steady as he looked down at me. Feeling something wet drop onto my face, I looked up to see Pierce crying...again. Damn. Does he have an endless supply of tears or what?

"Y-Y-You're b-bleeding!"

"_Hah?_" I half expected him to be crying about Boris. Lifting a hand up to the side of my head, I blinked. Oh, hey, what do you know, I really am bleeding. "Oh. That's interesting." I quickly crawled out from underneath Pierced and sat up, leaning against the tree. I checked to make sure my shoulder was injured any worse than it was and sighed in relief. I then placed the palm of my hand against the wound on my head, putting pressure on it to stop the bleeding.

"W-W-What are you doing!? Y-You need medical treatment!"

"I'm fine, Pierce. It's just a small scratch. A bush probably got me or something." I honestly think it was the tree- "Achoo!" I sneezed. I crinkled my nose and made a face. I better not be coming down with a cold... I blame Ace. He made me fall into a river. "Oh, great, that's lovely. Well, I don't know about you, but I-I need to go the Hatter's and talk to Alice."

Pierce looked alarmed. "What, why!?"

"Because Alice was apparently looking for me with Boris the other day, so I figured I'd be nice and pay 'em a visit." I answered simply, standing up and brushing all the twigs and leaves off of my clothes.

"Alexis! Pierce!? Are you guys okay!?" I heard Boris call out. "Alexis!? Pierce!?" ...I just had the really weird thought of Boris and Pierce being really close friends, but Pierce is scared of Boris for the sole reason that he's a cat and because Boris is a cat, his instincts take over and so he chases him. Huh. I can see it happening. I leaned down to retie my shoe, but Pierce quickly grabbed me and started running again.

"H-Hey! Pierce, hold up! Boris is looking for us-"

"He's going to e-eat us!"

"I highly doubt that! He's probably just-just-I don't know, but I doubt he's a cannibal!" Pierce froze and stopped running, looking at me with wide teary eyes.

"C-Cannibal?"

"Yeah, you know-when one person eats another person it's called cannibalism. If Boris ate me it would be cannibalism. If he ate you it would Cannibalism. If Nightmare ate Gray it would be Cannibalism. If I ate you or you ate me, it would be cannibalism. Now, if you looked like an actual _mouse _rather than just having the ears and tail," As I spoke, my hands started to move around and point at things. I talk around with my hands a lot, "and Boris looked like an actual cat, rather than having ears and a tail and a giant fluffy thing that I really want to steal, then it wouldn't be considered cannibalism. You guys both look human, minus the animal attributes," Again, I pointed at his ears, "so therefore, I consider it cannibalism."

Arms wrapped around me from behind suddenly causing me to scream. A voice said, "Got you!"

"L-Let go of me!"

"C-Cat!" Pierce squeaked horrified, before dashing forward and trying to tackle Boris. Boris grinned and reached out with one hand, pressing it against Pierce's head and having him struggle trying to grab him, easily holding the mouse-boy back. Boris kept one arm wrapped around my shoulders. "G-Give her back! L-Let-Let her go!"

"Ehh? Why should I do that?"

I growled, "Because I'll beat you!" Boris looked amused at my retort and grinned mischievously.

"Really? Would you now?"

"Yes!" As if to prove my point, I stomped on his foot, causing him to let out a loud _MRRRROWWWW! _He quickly released me and hopped about on one foot, crying out in pain as he tried to nurse his injured limb.

"What was that for!?"

"For holding me hostage!"

"I wasn't holding you hostage! I was just hugging you!"

"Then why wouldn't you let me go!?"

"Because your reaction was funny!"

I opened my mouth to retort, but found I couldn't think of anything. Huffing, I crossed my arms and turned my head. I scowled. "Yeah, well, whatever...Jerk."

Boris finally managed to stop hopping on one foot and stared at me, before leaning over and poking me in the forehead, one hand on his hip. I blinked and turned my head to look at him, only to quickly lean my head back in alarm at the close proximity. "You really _are _different from Alice. You don't even smell the same."

"W-Well, obviously! My name is Alexis!"

He grinned. "I know who you are. I'm just saying how different you were." I scowled again and smacked his hand out of my face. He stayed grinning.

"Mine!" I was about to ask Pierce what he was talking about when he suddenly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back. This seemed to be becoming a really weird habit. "She's my "item"! I already told you!"

"Yeah, you wanna test that theory, rat?" Boris demanded, whipping out his knife and fork. "I'll cook you like a fish." Pierce squeaked and looked like he was about to run away crying. I quickly interrupted, holding my hands up in front of me,

"Okay, guys, calm down! No-No killing each other, okay?"

"How come he gets to hug you?" Boris demanded, frowning as he pointed a knife at Pierce's face. The mouse squealed in horror and hid behind me, but his arms did not release their grip. I felt like I was back at home and my little cousin Samuel and his twin sister Samantha were arguing over me again.

"He..." I tried to think of a reason other than "he's adorable" and settled with, "He'll cry if I don't let him."

"What about me? I'll cry!" I stared at him blankly, saying,

"You're a big boy. You can handle it." Boris gaped at me. I grinned and laughed at his expression, finding it purely hilarious. "Th-That face! Hahaha! Y-You should see your face! Beautiful!" I laughed louder, smiling madly. He and Pierce both were surprised at my sudden change of emotion. "O-Okay...I-I'm done. I'm done laughing. Okay. W-Which way-Which way is the Hatter's Mansion?" Pierce tightened his grip on me as Boris grinned, saying he'd lead us there.

...I think he knew I was bad with directions. Not my fault! Wait...I feel like I'm forgetting something...

Who all did I meet at the Assembly again? Vivaldi and Peter, Boris and Pierce, Blood, Elliot, and... Damn it, it's on the tip of my tongue. As we arrived near the gates to the Mansion, I saw two blurs of red and blue.

"SISTER!"

"Dee and Dum!" I declared loudly, snapping my fingers as the two twins tackled me to the ground, causing me to let out a grunt. THAT'S who I was forgetting! The Tweedles!

...Now I feel bad. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum were my favorite characters in Tim Burton's movie, and Hikaru and Kaoru from _Ouran High School Host Club _made brilliant twins. Oh, wait, they were the Cheshire Cat...then who was Dee and Dum? PLOT HOLE! Wait, off topic.

"GYAH! WH-WHY ARE YOU HOLDING AXES AND HUGGING ME AT THE SAME TIME!?"

Dee whined, "Why'd you take so long to visit us?"

"Yeah! And why are you with the stupid mouse!?" Dum demanded, pouting.

"B-Because I've been busy and-and Pierce is my friend!" I missed the wide-eyed look on Pierce's face, the mouse-boy staring down at me in a mix of surprise and happiness. "Now put the weapons away be-before you cut me or something!"

They both whined, "Aww!" I watched in shock as their axes glowed brightly before transforming into guns-the same thing Peter's pocket-watch did when he murdered all those guards. "That better?"

"J-Just don't-just don't shoot me." They grinned at me before climbing off of me. They then glared at Pierce, who squeaked, hiding behind me after I stood up. "Hey! Be nice to Pierce!"

"He's a rat!"

"He's filthy!"

"He is not!" I growled, grabbing Pierce's wrist before he could run away. "Be nice before I do to you what I did to Boris!" Boris made a face at the memory of me stepping on his foot.

**Am I getting their characters right? I've never actually played the game. I only read game summaries and their character profiles on all the different wikis and what I've read about their characters in fanfiction. I've come to the realization that half of the characters are Yanderes-or at least have Yandere like tendencies. **

**1) Ace-in all the games**

**2) Boris-in Diamond**

**3) Pierce-has Yandere-like tendencies**

**4) Gray-has a darker side that he likes to keep hidden. Found that out in a manga. He wanted to lock Alice up and keep her to himself, but pushed that thought away because he didn't want to scare her.  
**

**5) Peter-though he's a nicer Yandere. But in one game I think he's a crazy Yandere. I forget. XD **

**6) Would Joker be considered a Yandere? **

**7) Oh, Dee and Dum. They threatened to cut off Alice's legs once, I think and in one bad ending, they-actually, let's not go there. That's demented. XD SO MUCH YANDERE! Where's the classic Tsundere? XD **

**Eh, ignore my random babble. Read and review and tell me what you think of the story so far. Oh, and the reason why I have so many chapters up already and posted them all at once was because I've written them all a while ago and have been posting them to my Quotev as I finished writing each one and editing them. So, if I have multiple chapters already written, I'm gonna post 'em all at once. Capiche? Awesome! Luvvles you guys! **

**If I'm writing any of their characters wrong, please tell me and how to fix them. Thank you! :) **


	9. Boys and Toys

"I-I-I don't-I don't think that's a really good idea..." I stammered, eying the sharp object fearfully as it was dangled close to my neck. "I-I-uh, how about we play a different game?"

"Eh? But why would we do that sister?"

"Yeah! This one is so much more fun!"

Damn them for being cute. Ugh, why do I have find cute things adorable? No-scratch that, why did I have to find _Dee and Dum _cute? It was because of that that I even ended up tied in a chair anyway, as they wanted to show me their "treasure", and decided to test out their new weapons on me.

"B-Because-It's not nice! You-You can kill someone!"

They both looked at me curiously, smiles on their faces, "Hm? What's wrong with that, sis?"

"We'll make it quick!" Dee promised, his brother holding the knife up and pressing it closer to my neck. I inhaled sharply, terrified at the prospect of death, before squeezing my eyes shut. "Sister?"

"What's wrong? Are you not having fun?" Dum asked. "Isn't this fun?"

Oh, yes. I'm having a _blast. _I growled, eyes still closed, "Hell no. If you're going to kill me, then go ahead and do it already. You're not planning on letting-" A lump formed in my throat and I turned my head, feeling the blade press against my skin. "You're not planning on letting me live, are you? Then-Then just get it over with! I was okay with you "testing" them out on me so long as you didn't kill me or fatally injure me, but-but..." The things I did so I wouldn't be hated. I felt like a masochist. "I-I don't-I don't want you to kill me..." I didn't want to die.

Such a short life, too. Hm. Why was I so calm right now? My heart was racing like a frantic rabbit hobbling away from a coyote, and yet I can think so calmly now. I was terrified. But I was calm.

Was I accepting death, or...?

Dum retracted the knife so fast it ended up slicing my jaw and cheek, causing me to flinch and let out a small cry of pain. I wasn't expecting that. Dum ended up dropping the knife on the ground as Dee gasped, Dum frantically untying the restraints they had on me. I was so confused. At least, I was until Dee suddenly tackled me in a hug, tears in his eyes.

"Don't cry sis! We didn't mean to make you cry!"

Dum finally managed to get the restraints off and hugged me as well. I frozen, alarmed. I was...crying? I blinked a couple of times, finally taking note of the stinging sensation in my eyes. It was nothing compared to the disturbingly warm liquid trailing down my cheek however. "Yeah! Please stop cryin'. We won't do it again, promise! Ah, brother! Sis is bleeding!"

...I kinda missed Pierce and Boris at this point. On the bright side, at least I wasn't being tackled with kisses.

"What do we do!? Sis is gonna die!"

I looked at them strangely. "Just because I'm bleeding doesn't mean I'm going to die. I've been shot before, remember?"

"Ah! Don't die sis!" They cried, tightening their grips on me.

"You're an outsider, so you're fragile!"

"Yeah! So that means if you get a cut you'll die an' we won't see you again!"

...I'm blaming Alice for this. I sighed and shook my head wrapping my left arm around Dum, while using my sleeve to wipe the blood off of my cheek. I winced when the cloth brushed against the wound, but pressed it against it to absorb a little more of the blood and to try and stop the bleeding. It was just a cut. A long cut that made me bleed, yeah, but still a cut. I've had worse. Once I was done, I removed my arm from Dum and ruffled Dee's hair, causing him to blink at me. He and Dum stared at me in confusion.

I grinned at them with closed eyes, smiling. "Relax! Besides," I quickly pulled a surprised Dum into my lap and gave him a noogie, causing him to cry out in protest and grab at my hands. "Revenge! Haha! You can't beat me now, can you!?"

"Sister, that's not fair!" Dum whined, causing Dee to laugh at his brother.

"Haha! Sister likes me more!" I quickly released Dum at Dee's words and tackled the blue twin, causing him to cry out as I pushed him to the floor and straddled him, moving my fingers around his sides, stomach, chest, and neck to see if he was ticklish. Luckily, he was. _Especially _around the neck area. "H-Hey! S-Stop that! B-Brother-Brother, help! Hahaha!" I laughed at him and grinned, tickling him mercilessly.

"What was that you said about me liking you more? Hm? _Hm? _Surrender?"

"Hey, I wanna join!" I lifted my head at Dum's words and was about to tackle him, but was surprised when _I _was the one tackled instead. Hands ran up and down my sides as the fingers moved, causing me to break out into loud laughter. I struggled, kicking and punching and even trying to elbow him. Unfortunately Dee managed to escape my hold so he joined in with his brother in the efforts to tickle.

This is what happens when you stick a group of childish teens together-you get havoc.

"I-I'm-I'm gonna beat you all-! Bwahahahahaha!" Good god, I felt like I was dying. I haven't laughed this hard since my first conversation with Nightmare. How long ago was that? A few days? Felt longer than that. "Hahah-S-Stop it!" I tried to punch Dee in the face, and Dum grinned as he narrowly avoided a kick to the stomach.

"Whoa! Careful sis!"

"You might end up hurtin' yourself!"

"Shu-Shut up-_OW!_" I cried out in pain as my foot banged against the edge of one of the tables in their room. However, I quickly froze when I caught sight of the sharp weapons dangling off of their ceiling. "GYAH!" I quickly managed to worm out of the twins' grips and away from the dangling objects above me. It looks cool from a distance, just not above my face. "That can _not _be safe!"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Th-That! Won't it fall off?" They followed their gazes to where I was pointing and blinked.

"No," Dum answered. "We have it on there 'cause it makes it look awesome. Right, brother?"

"Right! Don't you agree sister? Isn't our collection cool?"

"Well, kinda, but..." My eyes caught sight of something and I turned my head, crying out, "That poor lizard!" It was beheaded. On a stick. Without its body. Very much like how Joffrey killed his victims in _Game of Thrones_. Instead of a spike, however, its head was on a stick.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. That's Phil!"

"We decided to play with him one day, but got too carried away..."

They then asked in unison, smiling, "Isn't it cool!?" Slowly, I turned my head to stare at them. To stare at their completely adorable faces. Which murdered people. And animals. But somehow, _somehow, _managed to retain a sense of child-like innocence.

"V-Very..." I jumped when Dee poked my side with a mischievous grin and gave him a look, causing him to shrug and laugh. "Shush you!"

Dum wrapped his arms around my neck from behind me, causing me to tense. This felt completely different compared to Pierce's hugs. "We wanna play with sister some more!"

Dee shot forward at his brother's words and wrapped his arms around my waist, his head resting on my lap. "Yeah! What should we play?"

I then remembered the main reason why I even came here and said, "Uh, actually, I'm looking for Alice..."

"Big sister?" Dee questioned, lifting his head and looked up at me. I tried not to shift awkwardly in their holds, but it was growing increasingly more uncomfortable with Dum's breath brushing down the back of my neck and Dee's head up against my stomach. "Why are you lookin' for Big sister?"

"B-Because Gray said she was looking for me the other day..." C-Can you guys let go now? I held my breath when I felt Dum's brush against my ear. "Can I go now?"

"Eh, why!?" Dum complained. "Stay an' play with us!"

"Yeah!" Dee agreed, tightening his grip. "You're our sister!"

"I'll play with you guys later. I need to talk to Alice."

"An' then you'll come back?" I hesitated. In all honesty, I was think of finding Pierce and hanging out with him. Because, in all honesty, he was pretty much my only _real _friend in this strange place that was even remotely close to my age. Nightmare was my friend, yes, but he was an adult friends. You have your adults friends, then you have your friends that you hang out with on a daily basis because they're the same age as you and you get along pretty well.

At least, I _think _Pierce and I get along well... And he's not the _same _age, he's two years older, but, not much a difference there, right? I'm fifteen, Pierce is seventeen, Boris is eighteen, and the twins are fourteen... I-I think that's a pretty good age difference between all of us. I mean, if you think about it, Boris would be a Senior and I think Pierce would be either a Sophomore or a Junior... The Twins would still be in Middle School, and I'm already a Freshman.

Yeah. I smiled at the thought, ignoring the urge to laugh at the idea of them having to do homework. Pierce would probably be the kid who was constantly picked on for his shy nature despite being on of the upperclassmen, and Boris, being a senior and a cat, would often be the main bully. I'd be that one person to walk up to Pierce and be all, "Stop being so anti-social"! and he'd complain about no one wanting to sit with him, so then I'd go and force him to sit with me and my friends-few they may be. Dee and Dum would be the Middle Schoolers who sit close to me on the bus, constantly making fun of me, and I'd be there making sarcastic remarks towards them before tickling them and trying to get them behave.

I actually had to do that with an elementary kid once because he kept slapping me in the face and ripping my earbuds out of my ears. He fell out of the seat he was laughing so hard. It was funny, and he learned his lesson, so I was happy.

Pierce would probably be sitting next to me and taking the blunt of the blows from the twins and Boris, while I yell at them to leave him alone and then-knowing Pierce-he'd tackle me and cry, saying how I was "nice" for saving him. I still don't really get why he considered me a nice person, but I wasn't going to question him.

I snapped out my thoughts and reeled my head back, alarmed when a pair of deep blue eyes found themselves right up in my face. Unfortunately I couldn't go too far because Dum was right behind me.

"Sis, you alright? You were spacing out!"

"Yeah! We-We didn't hurt you too badly, did we?"

"No! Sister's dying!"

"Quick brother! Get a doctor-!"

I quickly cut in, pushing them both off of me, "I'm fine! I-I gotta go find Alice! Later!"

"Sister-!"

"Wait!" I quickly walked out of the room before running down the mansion's halls, completely uncomfortable. I crossed my arms and rubbed the goosebumps that were forming. Where was Alice? Where _would _she be-Wait, if she's married to Blood...

Oh dear god...What if-What if they're doing _that? _Horror crossed my mind as I imagined the two frolicking about in their bedroom. I don't want to witness that! That's worse than seeing something on television! And I've seen _Game of Thrones_, so I've seen some pretty nasty stuff. I had stopped in the middle of the hallway not even notice, slapping myself upside the forehead as I tried to clear my mind of any scary thoughts. _Don't think, don't think, don't think-damn it! _

"ALICE!" I resorted to yelling, only to have a really _huge _hand clamp itself over my mouth. I froze.

"You don't have to scream, lady!" That voice... Horror struck me as my blood ran cold. I-I know he apologized and all, and I forgave him, but...It didn't mean I wasn't still scared. I've seen what he could do. Slowly, I turned my head with wide eyes to gaze up at the ginger-haired form of the March Hare, Elliot. He was frowning down at me as he removed his hand from my mouth. He then blinked before a smile spread across his face, "Alexis! What are you doing here in the Mansion? Have you come to visit?"

"Um, Y-Yeah, k-kinda...Have-Have you seen Alice around?"

"Alice?" His ears perked up. I watched the movement nervously and tensed when he placed his hand on my shoulder. "What do you want with Alice?"

"She-She was looking for me the other day...so-So I-I figured too," I swallowed, looking away from him awkwardly. "You know...visit?" My voice squeaked a little at the end.

"Oh! Okay. Well, she's probably in Blood's room, so I'll show you the way, okay? Stay behind me when I open the door, though. I don't want you to see something bad." He smiled kindly at me and I felt some of my fear alleviate. M-Maybe he was nice? "Hey, what's wrong?" His ears dropped a little as a sad look formed on his face, "You-You aren't still scared of me, right? I-I apologized-"

"No! No-no! I-I'm not, well, a little, but, um-I-I don't-" Damn it. How was I supposed to answer that? I didn't really think about how to talk to him if I bumped into him, so any lies I could think of were out the window. I flinched and ducked my head, "I'm sorry! I-I don't want-I don't want to be scared of you, b-but-"

Elliot looked like he was going to cry, but at the same time looked like he wanted to stop _me _from crying. I refused to let myself cry, though.

Oddly, despite how much I've been saying that, I've still been crying anyway. This world is going against for sure.

"I'm sorry!" I squeaked, squeezing my eyes shut. I wasn't sure what I was expecting; another gun shot? A glare? He was Mafia and there was no telling what he'd do to me.

"I-I'll make you not scared of me!" Elliot declared suddenly, causing me to look up in confusion only to freeze.

WHAT IS UP WITH ALL THESE TOUCHY-FEELY PEOPLE!?

I will admit that I was more comfortable with his hug than the twins, as theirs felt like they were more aggressive than anything. It also made me more comfortable, because it felt more like a Nightmare hug. It was far from a Pierce hug, however. This was a friendly hug. It wasn't possessive or random.

"I-I can show you this really good cake shop in town sometime if you want! Then-Then you won't be so scared of me, because I'll show you I'm not scary!"

...Does Elliot not like having kids scared of him or something? Wait-cake? Do they have chocolate cake, or even cheesecake?

Okay, normally I don't go for sweets unless it's chocolate, but _cheesecake _man, _cheesecake_. Wait, no! Bad girl! You have no money!

"I don't-I don't have money-"

"You're a child, of course you're not going to have any money." I felt stress lines form on my face as my shoulders slumped exasperatedly. How _old _do people in Wonderland think I am? He violet eyes lip up excitedly, "I'll pay! They have really good carrot cake! Do you like carrot cake?"

"Uh...kinda..." His smile broadened, and I felt like I was digging myself into a grave. "I'm not too big on carrots, though..." I found myself encased in another hug, and I froze when my feet were lifted off the ground before being set down again within moments. I relaxed considerably as Elliot set me down and pulled away, his hands on my shoulders as he knelt down and looked at me excitedly.

"I think we'll get along great! I hate carrots too, but I _love _carrot dishes! Do you know what I mean!?" I stared at him for a moment before putting a hand to my chin.

"I...think. I hate ranch and tomatoes, but I like food that has them in them..." He...wasn't _so _bad. I think I can be friends with him.

"Exactly! Here, I'll show you to Blood's room and get Alice! Oh! How about I come get you in the next three time periods and we can go to that cake shop!? Does that sound good!?" Wow, he's enthusiastic... I think he just wants the cake. I grinned at him, unable to hold back the amusement I felt at his enthusiasm.

"Sure. Um, I'll probably be at the Clover Tower...That or lost in the woods somewhere." I laughed and scratched the side of my neck. Elliot then paused, noticing something.

"Hey, what happened to your face?"

"Huh?" My eyes widened in alarm and I leaned back in surprise when he suddenly leaned down, one hand cupping the uninjured side of my face-or should I say head? Because his hands are _huge_. It was like comparing a rabbit to a dog-I was the rabbit and he was the dog. Ugh. That was as bad as the cat-and-mouse thing with Boris and Pierce. Then again, my Chinese zodiac _is _a rabbit. But Elliot's a Hare, not a rabbit, though the two are rather closely related. Elliot trailed a finger down the side of my cut, frowning.

"It looks like a knife wound..."

"Oh, that?" I pulled away from Elliot's grip and touched it with the flat of my index finger. "I was goofing off with the twins. One of the knives fell off their table and nearly skewered me." I laughed at my lie, acting like it was all just some funny joke. "I've had worse."

"Such as?"

I stared at him blankly, causing him to blink at me. I then said, "You shot me, remember?" Elliot flinched at the memory.

"R-Right, of course. Sorry..."

"It's fine. Now, Alice?"

"Right! This way, Alexis!" I blinked when he grabbed my wrist and started to walk down the hallway, me trailing behind him. It was really weird and hurt my neck a little to look up at him, as he was even taller than Gray. Whereas Gray was around six-foot two, Elliot was a legit and straight-up six-foot-five. Yeah. That was how big he was. He was a _giant_.

_People in Wonderland are too tall~! _I whined in my head, feeling like a midget compared to everyone. At least I was taller than the twins...even if it was just by an inch. I _would _be taller than Pierce, but no~! He's, like, five inches taller than me! Argh! And Boris is practically the same height as Pierce, if not a little bit taller. Ugh! I don't like this!

At least Nightmare's not six-foot...though he's close.

When we arrived to a door, Elliot held an arm out telling me to stay behind him. Slowly, he knocked on the door. "Blood? Alice has a visitor."

"Ah, is that so?" A voice answered annoyed. I flinched. _Gross...So they WERE doing that... Ew. Adults are ew. Teenagers who do that are ew. EW! _Seriously, almost every teenager I knew in my High School had already slept with someone, except for the few people I called my friends. You'd think that they'd at least _try _to preserve themselves for marriage, that way when they woke up the next day the guy they slept with wouldn't dump 'em on the spot and you'd know that they truly loved you. But nope. People are stupid. "Just one moment."

Elliot looked down at me apologetically and I sighed, shrugging. "It's fine. If they want kids then that's their problem." Elliot looked surprised before chuckling at my response. Seriously. People sleep with each other without thinking about the consequences. Even if you use a condom, there's still that one-in-five chance that you'll get the girl pregnant and you'll end up raising a kid before you're even out of High School. I wish people thought about these things a bit more...

I blinked when Elliot ruffled my hair and looked up at him, but at that moment the door slammed open and a girl with slightly tangled honey blonde hair was breathing heavily, her cheeks rather flushes. "Elliot? Who's-Alexis!?" Her apron on her dress wasn't even properly tied.

Yeah. She and Blood were definitely having sex.

Gross. Wouldn't that feel weird? You know what, I'm not going to question it.

"Um, Gray told me that you visited the tower the other day looking for-looking for me and, well, yeah..." _Okaaay_, this wasn't awkward in the least. "I-I thought it'd be nice of me to...you know, visit? O-Obviously I was wrong, so I can just leave now!" I pointed in the opposite direction and started to walk away, wanting to get away from Blood's murderous intent, but was quickly pulled back by Alice.

_Ew! She was sleeping with Blood and now she's getting nasties on my arms! _Okay. I'm a kid. I'll admit. _I-I don't want that stuff on me! I'll smell gross! _I was going to have to take another shower later. _Gross! Normally I don't care if I get slightly dirty, like mud and stuff, but EWWWWW! Acting like Peter right now, but I don't care! Ew! _I kept a blank face on, though my nose did cringe a little.

"No! I'll hang out with you! We can go shopping!" Oh, god. _Again? _What is up with this world and shopping? "Blood can wait."

"Alice-" Blood started, walking up while rebuttoning his shirt, "Are you sure-"

"Yes! She came all this way to see me! I'm not letting her go this time! Besides, you have work to do!" Blood looked like he wanted to make a retort, but instead gave a "gentlemanly" smile and said, "Of course. I understand." He then shot Elliot a look, who's ears drooped.

Aw...Poor guy. He looked like a kicked puppy. Reaching up, I patted his arm lightly to gain his attention. He looked down at me confused. "Uh, three time periods, right? Then cake shop?" His ears twitched and pointed upwards, his eyes lighting up brightly as he smiled excitedly. I think I can at least try not to be so scared of him...same with the twins. And Ace. I...don't want to be alone in this world, too.

...I wonder if I can invite Pierce along to the cake shop? Wait! Does he even like cake? He's a mouse, right? Does he like cheesecake? I'll ask him if I see him. If so, I'll see if I can bring some back to the Tower with me. I smiled at the thought, but quickly made a face when Alice grabbed my hand-_Ew, nasties, ew!_-and started to lead me down the hall. I didn't want to be rude, but...

"C-Can you wash your hands first? And-And can I wash mine? You-You got nasties all over it from when you were sleeping with Blood." Ugh, I felt like such a germaphobe. No offense to germaphobes out there-I respect the fact that you like to stay clean. I just don't like having _nasty_ all over me. Alice stopped walking in surprise and stared at me with wide eyes.

...

"What do you think about this one?" Alice asked curiously, holding up a pale baby blue dress. It was strapless and fanned out at the waist. "I like it."

I shrugged. "It's a dress. I liked the last one better." Alice turned her head to look at the red sundress.

"You think...? I prefer blue, to be honest."

"I'm more a black fan. I do like both red and blue though, and green. Mainly dark greens, though. I can't stand really bright colors."

"Oh! Then how about we get you something, then?" I felt like banging my head against a wall. _Another _dress? If she buys me one, I'll be guilt-tripped into wearing it because I won't want to hurt her feelings!

"Oh, uh, no thanks. I'm good. Gray had me go shopping for quite a few dresses a few time periods ago, so I'm okay. I prefer pants and shirt anyway. Thanks, though."

"Aw...You'd look so cute in a dress, though!" I laughed nervously. I felt more comfortable being around a girl, but a girl I didn't really know, who also happened to _love _dresses and shopping... How am I going to survive this? Oh, god, I just remembered, but I still need to visit Vivaldi! I flinched at the image of my head getting chopped off and rolling on the ground in a pile of blood... No! I refuse! P-Peter will protect me, right? He likes me, right? He'll save me?

Oh, who am I kidding, he hates me too. No! Damn it, he was nice to me! He doesn't hate me! ARGH!

I looked at the dress Alice was now holding, her babbling about how I should at least buy _one _dress and wear it. It was cute, but it wasn't as cute as the one chiffon green sundress Pierce picked out for me. He had actually quite good tastes in clothes... Not that I'll tell him that, though. It was a black strapless floral print dress with red flowers decorating it, hints of green surrounding the flowers as they had leaves. To my surprise, it had one of the transparent sleeve-things going on that stopped right above the elbow. I guess I could try it... but it wasn't like I had the money to buy it.

...

Stubborn woman. Not only a dress, but a pair of _boots _to go with. And, even worse, she's making me wear it _out _of the shop-as she _refused _to take "no" as an answer and bought it without my consent. This is why I hate shopping. I felt naked without leggings. I was just lucky that the dress stopped at my knees, whereas the boots stopped just below. So, really, all you could see was the red thigh-high socks Alice made me put on.

I felt ridiculous. I probably looked hideous. I mean, I thought I looked decent, but other people probably thought I looked strange. People other than Alice that is, who kept smiling and saying how "pretty" and "cute" I looked. Tch. As if. The bandaid on my face and the bandages on my shoulders made me look like some runaway fashion-chick who got in a fight.

It was pretty ridiculous. I looked up at the sky, noting that it was now evening again and that a time period had passed. Two more. I think I'll leave during the second so I can get there before the third, so I can hang with Nightmare and Gray a bit (And possibly Pierce if he's there) and take a proper shower again. I liked my showers. They felt amazing.

"Hey, Alexis, do you like stuffed animals?" I paused, before reluctantly saying,

"Uh, maybe, why?"

She looked down at me with a smile, and I noted happily that she was only around three inches taller than me. "What's your favorite animal?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, I like cats..." Her eyes lit up.

"Me too! Hey, I know this store with a whole bunch of adorable stuffed animals!" Oh no...

Back in my world, I tried to hide the fact that I loved stuffed animals. It made me seem "girly" and "out of character". One time I painted my nails and a girl freaked out and asked if I feeling sick or something, and then wondered if I was replaced with an alien replica. I didn't like her. However, Alice had peaked my curiosity and I shrugged, saying, "Only if you want too..."

Act nonchalant, me. _Wait, what am I even doing!? No one here really knows me, so I should be able to talk freely about my likes and dislikes! _

But then I'll be labeled. I don't want to be labeled again. I wanted to be me. So, I put up with Alice grabbing my hand and dragging me towards a toy store, which had _tons _of cute...stuffed...furry...little...animals... So..._adorable... _

RESIST! I gulped, looking around anxiously at all the adorable little creatures. One caught my eye in particular, however, and I couldn't help but walk over to it. Was an adorable little brown bear, with a red bow wrapped around its neck. It had a little patched-up jacket on with a fake deck of cards sticking out of its breast pocket, and on it was a little fedora. It...was...so...cute! Glancing behind me to make sure Alice wasn't looking, I reached out and picked up the bear. It was so soft...

I squeezed the bear to my chest, hugging it tightly and pressing my face against the top of it's head, smiling widely with closed eyes and I swerved my body from left-to-right. _SO CUTE! Aw, I wish I had money! _I kissed the top of its head, feeling like the happiest girl in the world. I squeezed it again.

"Hey, Alexis-" I heard Alexis begin, so I quickly put the bear back on top of the pile and turned around with a bored look on my face. "What do you think about this one?" She was holding up a small pink cat. It reminded me of Boris. It had purple stripes going around its body and jade green eyes.

"If its eyes were gold, I'd of thought you were dating Boris instead of being married to Blood," I deadpanned, before grinning. She smiled at me. "I'm kidding. It's cute." I then tilted my head and leaned over one foot, saying, "Suits you, actually, now that I think about it."

"Eh? You think!?" She asked, an embarrassed blush forming on her face. I nodded.

"Yeah. You should get it."

She stared at the kitten toy contemplatively for a moment before nodding, "Maybe I will. What about you, though? Is there anything you want?"

I hesitated, thinking back to the stuffed bear, before shaking my head a second later. "Nope. Besides, even if there was one, I wouldn't be able to buy it-and I'm not letting _you _buy it either. The outfit was just a fluke!"

She shook her head at me, giggling. "Yeah, alright. Come on. It's almost been two whole time periods. We should probably get going. Blood's probably throwing a fit right about now." She blushed and pressed the kitten to her face, a small happy smile on her face. I felt a pang in my chest. I recognized that smile. That was the smile of a love-struck person in love. I've seen it plenty of times on Jack and Sarah's faces...and I suffered sometimes because of it. The third wheel. The forgotten one. I acted like nothing was wrong however, smiling and laughing, putting up with it when the three of us went somewhere together and I was often left out.

It hurt. It hurt more than I wanted to admit. I didn't like being alone. I didn't like being forgotten or ignored...

I didn't like being hated.

I swallowed and frowned, wishing more than ever to be cuddling that adorable soft toy right now. I wanted a cuddle buddy for when I go to sleep, as pillows can only do so much... I sighed deeply and followed Alice out of the store. As we were walking, I asked, "Hey, Alice...Do you know a mouse named Pierce?"

She turned her eyes on me, saying surprised, "Yes, I do, actually. Pierce Villiers?"

"Um, yeah. Does-Does he likes cheesecake?"

"It's one of his favorites, actually. Why? Are you planning on making him one?" A sly smile formed on her face, raising an eyebrow suggestively at me. I rolled my eyes at her behavior.

"'Cause I totally know how to cook a cheesecake. Cheesy Ranch _Chicken however_...That I made pretty darn well." I grinned, still proud with how that particular meal turned out. I made to place my hands in my pants pockets, only to pause and scowl when I realized I was wearing a dress. I sighed before looking up at the red-tinted sky as we walked. "No...Elliot was upset that I was still scared of him, so he said he'd take me to this cake shop or whatever next time period. Something like that anyway, and I was thinking about asking if Pierce could come, 'cause I haven't seen him since I arrived at the Hatter's Mansion 'cause Boris chased him off while the twins dragged me away, and I wondered if he liked cheesecake since he was a dormouse." I then flinched at my words, realizing how stereotypical that sounded. Being a mouse had nothing to do with liking _cheese_cake. "S-So, if I saw him, I-I was going to ask him if he did and try and bring some back to the Tower with me so I could give it to him if I saw him."

I refused to look at Alice, instead settling with scratching the side of my neck uncomfortably as I looked at the sky.

Alice smiled at me, and I finally gained the courage to look at her. I felt a deep blush spread across my face in embarrassment at the look on her face. "I think he'll like the gift, Alexis. That's actually rather nice of you."

There it was again. That word. "Nice". I'm a jerk. Why do people keep calling me "nice"?

I turned my head and scowled, crossing my arms as I made sure the bags that held my old clothes in it wouldn't fall to the ground. "Yeah, yeah...whatever." I just thought that since Pierce thought I hated him and all, he'd feel better if I brought him cheesecake... Plus, it would count as comfort food from the horror of having Boris chase him around all the time, and it could also work as an apology since I kinda ditched him for the twins-even if I wasn't willing. He probably thought that I _did _leave him to Boris to hang with the twins, and thought I hated him...

No...What if_ he_ hated _me_ because he thought that? I tensed at that, very unhappy with that thought as a small pain formed in my chest. I didn't want to lose my new friend so soon... Oh, man... I hope the cheesecake thing works...

**What do you guys think of Alexis' character so far? Good, bad, average-? **


	10. A Cheesy Assembly

"Whoa...that's a lot of cake..." Elliot had ordered at least _half _the cakes the store had to offer. And somehow, he managed he scarf them all down easily. I looked down at my half-eaten slice of chocolate cake, feeling slightly self-conscious for being such a slow eater. Here he was just scarfing his face, while I was just eating slowly and politely as I was taught to. Then again, eating too fast could give one a stomach ache...

I paused to watch Elliot shove another slice of carrot cake in his mouth, before hesitantly cutting off another bit of my chocolate cake. He was eating similar to the way I was, but was still scarfing them all down so fast! Was his stomach a bottomless pit or something?

"Thanks for the cake, Elliot." I spoke quietly, not looking at him. The March Hare paused with his fork halfway to his mouth before smiling.

"Hey, it's no problem! I never get to eat out with anyone anymore, so I was really happy when you agreed to my proposition! Alice is always so busy with Blood that we other role-holders hardly get a chance to see her..." His rabbit ears drooped and hung down beside his head. I wanted to hug the poor guy. "But we got you now!" His ears propped right back up into place as he beamed at me, his sad mood gone almost spontaneously. "You're nice, too! You should visit the mansion more often so we can hang out! Hey, have you tried any of the carrot cakes yet? This one's really good!"

I swallowed the piece of cake I had been chewing and blinked, looking down at the cream-cheese-frosted carrot cake. Originally I had thought it was vanilla frosting, but now that I'm actually paying attention, it looked like straight-up cream cheese. I looked up at Elliot, who staring at me expectantly with a smile on his face. Resisting the urge to scowl uncertainly, I cleaned my fork off with my napkin before taking a small piece off the specific cake, sticking it into my mouth and chewing slowly.

To my surprise, it tasted really good. I wasn't too big on carrot cakes in general, but this one tasted really good. It was probably because of the cream cheese. Elliot grinned widely at the look on my face and exclaimed, "See! Isn't it delicious!? Carrot cakes are the best!"

I hung my head in embarrassment, but that didn't stop the smile from forming on my face. I swallowed and muttered, "Y-yeah... It's-It's pretty good, actually."

"See! I knew you'd like it! Hey, try this one, too! And this one!"

"Uh..."

Remind me to avoid eating cake with Elliot again. I narrowly avoided getting a stomachache. It was fun though, I'll admit. We continued eating, Elliot trying to get me to try almost every cake he had bought, until it changed to morning. Elliot paused and looked out the window, scowling. I looked at him in confusion.

"What's wrong?" He looked at me surprised.

"Hm? Oh, nothing. I'm just not looking forward to the Assembly very much." My eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Wait, there's another meeting?"

"You didn't know?" Elliot asked shocked. "I figured since you were living at the Clover Tower, you knew all about it. We're having one in the next two time changes. You were all dressed up, so I assumed you were going."

Wait...All role-holders _have _to attend the Assembly, which means Pierce is going to be there, which means I can give him the cheesecake then!

"Yeah-Yeah, I'm going. Alice made me go shopping with her, so I was stuck having to wear this." I shifted uncomfortably in the dress, pressing my legs together with a scowl. It felt so weird without leggings or shorts. "I didn't know there was going to be another assembly, but now that I do, I'm planning on going."

"You sure? It's extremely boring."

"Eh, I'll live." I finished off my slice of strawberry cheesecake and quickly wiped my mouth and fingers off with a napkin. "Well, I'm full. You?"

Elliot pouted at some of the leftover cakes that he didn't get to touch yet, before sighing. "Blood will get angry if I'm late...Hey, can we get these cakes to-go?" He called over to one of the counter-people. An employee then moved over and placed multiple boxes on the table, leaving Elliot and I to put the leftover in said boxes. I then stood up and dashed over to the counter, pulling out the wad of money Nightmare gave me right before Elliot came and got me, and asked,

"Can I get plain cheesecake to-go, please? You-You can keep the change." The chef looked a little surprised at me before smiling and saying,

"Of course!" He sounded french, and oddly reminded me of Pierce. Pierce had the slightest bit of an accent-it was hardly noticeable, but it was there if you paid enough attention. "Here you go!" After a few moments of waiting, he handed me a white box with the store's label on it. The cheesecake was inside. "Pleasure to see you here, young miss! Have a nice day!"

...Blood was British, Pierce was French. Boris and I were American and Elliot...I think he was American as well. Or was Boris Japanese? I have no idea. Okay, you know what? I'm not going to bother. All I know is that Pierce's last name is pronounced "Villiay" rather than the way it's spelled.

My head hurt. I'm not going to bother. I'm done. Screw it. I'm finished. I'm just going to head back to the tower and bug Nightmare.

Elliot looked down at me surprised once I returned to where he was standing. "What did you buy the cake for? Are you planning on eating it later?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, no. Not-Not really. I-I'm getting it for a friend, since I was told he likes Cheesecake..."

"What friend?" Elliot asked curiously as we walked out of the store, carrying his cake boxes.

"His-His name's Pierce..." Elliot stopped and looked down at me stunned. I looked up at the adult in confusion.

"You're friends with Pierce? The dormouse?"

I blinked at his incredulous tone. "Um, yeah...Why? Do you not like him?" Elliot looked stunned at my questioned.

"What; where'd you come up with that?"

"W-Well, I-I don't-I don't know! It's was just the way you asked!"

We started to walk again. Elliot said, "I don't have a grudge against him or anything; he actually works for Blood, too." I was stunned. Pierce was _Mafia? _No way. That guy? "The twins just chased him out of the Mansion with their bullying, and Blood put a ban on coffee, so that was why Pierce ran away here to Clover."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "So, wait...he actually does work for the Mafia? Why did Blood ban coffee?"

"Because he hates it. Pierce hates tea," Oh...ouch. Then again, I'm not too big on coffee either. I'll only drink black and on half-strength. Again, it still tasted strange. "So that was one of the reasons he left the Mansion. He's an okay guy in my opinion, though he can get annoying at times."

Hm...I guess I can see where he's coming from. "What does Pierce do in the Mafia?"

"He cleans up after everything."

_Cleans up...after the Mafia. Oh, my god. Does that mean what I think it does?_ Images of Pierce cleaning up dead bodies popped up into my head, along with images of him dragging said dead bodies into the woods. "That's...slightly disturbing, but okay. So he buries the dead bodies?"

"Yep." How the hell is this conversation so casual?

"...Does he do anything else?"

"He interrogates people for us."

"...That's lovely." I have no idea what to think anymore. It was difficult imagining someone like Pierce acting like Ramsey and stripping skin off of a person's body. God, I hated Ramsey. Unfortunately, now that I'm in Wonderland and they have no TV, I'll never see how he dies-_if _he dies. So sad... "Does he kill people, too?"

"Occasionally."

_Greeeat_, I became friends with the Mafia without even realizing it. And here I am, trying to_ befriend_ the person who _shot_ me. Yeah. I'm a masochist. "Okay then." I bought Cheesecake for the Mafia. Sounds legit. Wait, why am I acting so freaked out by this? It's a demented version of Wonderland, I know this. The Mad Hatter is a Mafia Boss, the caterpillar is an Incubus, and the Cheshire Cat is a goofy teenage boy who likes to chase around a kissy-dormouse who apparently works for the Mafia. The White Rabbit also happens to be a germaphobe.

See? I got this.

...

"Nightmare, what are you doing?" He was hanging from a chandelier...again. "You're going to end up killing yourself by doing that."

"Quiet! Gray will hear you!"

"How do you even get up there anyway? There's no ladder."

"I can fly!"

"In dreams, yeah, but-"

"I can in reality, too, you know! My powers aren't limited to the dream world!"

"...I question you."

"As_ I_ question _you!_"

Just then Gray barged into the room with a ladder slung over his shoulder, strolling in casually with an annoyed look on his face. "Lord Nightmare, please, behave yourself. The Assembly is to start in ten minutes. You _must _attend the meeting."

"I REFUSE!" Nightmare yelled defiantly, and I screamed as I tried to avoid being splattered with his blood. It hit the floor and I cried out in disgust,

"Gross!"

Nightmare started yelling in protest loudly as he held onto the chandelier for dear life, Gray having already set the ladder down and climbed on it, and was now pulling on one of Nightmare's legs and trying to get him to release his hold on the chandelier. "No! I'm not going!"

"Lord Nightmare, please! Stop acting so childish and do your job!" There was an accent! Is he British, too!? It's hardly noticeable but it's there! I hear it! I've seen enough _DanandPhilgames _videos on Youtube to recognize a British person when I hear one!

"You're my employee! You're suppose to be respecting me! Why are you so mean to me!?" Nightmare had tears in his eyes, "I'm not childish!"

"Have you tried tickling him?" I suggested, causing Nightmare to let out a squeal of utmost terror. Gray looked thoughtful for a moment before looking at Nightmare with glinting gold eyes.

"No, I haven't. Lord Nightmare, are you weak against tickling?" Nightmare turned really really pale at this. I felt bad, but I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face in amusement.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" All you could hear was Nightmare's screams of terror as Gray attacked him with his free hand, tickling the back of Nightmare's knees and causing the Incubus to break out laughing so hard, he ended up coughing up blood and going limp. Gray managed to catch Nightmare before he fell to his death and slung him over his shoulder, crawling casually down the ladder.

_Wow...I feel so mean towards Nightmare, but at least he'll actually go the Assembly now. _

"You...are all...meanies!" Nightmare gasped, banging his fists tiredly against Gray's back. One of their servants walked up and grabbed the ladder, folding it before carrying it away with both arms. That made me question how strong Gray really was. "You are all traitors!"

I quickly ran up to Gray and Nightmare, looking back nervously as I watched one of the maids clean up the puddles of blood Nightmare created with his coughing fits, before rushing over to the kitchen and opening the fridge. To my relief, the cheesecake was still in there and untouched. Grabbing it, I ran out to find Gray and Nightmare, surprised to find them already in the Assembly Hall.

People were already starting to gather inside the room, and they all looked like they were regretting even coming here. I looked around, sitting in the row I did before, waiting for Pierce to pop up. Since I was a foreigner and not a role-holder, I was allowed to sit wherever I wanted. I held the cheesecake nervously.

_What if Alice lied and he really doesn't like cheesecake? What if I just make a big fool of myself trying to give it to him?_ I cringed at my thoughts. Ugh. I hated being me. The Hatter Family arrived first, Blood walking in with his arm around a blushing Alice's waist, Elliot and the twins following behind him loyally before they took their seat in their respectful row. Then Vivaldi, Peter, and Ace showed up. Vivaldi was yelling at Ace for trying to make them late, while Peter just gave everyone a cold look-until he saw Alice that is.

His hard stare turned warm almost instantly, and I was taken by surprise at the sudden change of attitude. So...Peter was cold to everyone _except _Alice and me, and...Nightmare? He was more civil towards Nightmare than anyone else I've seen him talk to, but he was still kinda cold towards him. Hm, interesting. Then Pierce and Boris came in. Boris was holding Pierce by the collar of his jacket, the poor boy frozen in fear as tears formed in his eyes. Boris dropped Pierce into his row and watched as the boy scooted away frantically from the Cheshire Cat.

Now was my chance...But-But what if he didn't like cheesecake? Ah, screw it. I'll shove it down his throat if I have too! Walking over awkwardly, ignoring multiple stares, I sat between Pierce and Boris, both males looking at me in surprise. This way I could talk to Pierce and also stop Boris from threatening him. Killing two birds with one stone if you ask me.

Making my decision, I looked up at Pierce hesitantly and asked, ignoring the confused look on his face, "Do...Do you-Do you like cheesecake?"

"Hm?" He tilted his head at me, confused. If I looked behind me, I'd see Boris' surprised and stunned face. "Is that what's in the box? Why?"

Damn it, I could feel everyone staring at me. This was embarrassing. And it sucks even more, because Nightmare hasn't even started the assembly yet! God, this is so humiliating... I cleared my throat and diverted my gaze for a moment before turning my head and looking at him out of the corner of my eyes. "J-Just answer the question... E-Elliot and I went to eat cake earlier and-and there was a cheesecake left over that no one touched, s-so..."

Why was I lying? Good lord, I felt like an idiot. I hope the people watching are enjoying my pain. Jerks.

I could feel Pierce's eyes boring into my skull, and I made the mistake of looking at him. His eyes locked onto mine and I froze. His ear twitched, and I had the slightest inkling that he heard my heartbeat speed up a little. Is it just me or is it a little warmer in here? Ugh... _I'm blushing, aren't I? Damn it. _

Suddenly the box was snatched out of my hands and I was left to glare at Boris, who was opening it and peeking inside. He complained, "How come you give the rat something and not me!? I like cheesecake, too!"

"Because I can!" I growled, reaching out and trying to snatch it back from Boris, "Now give it back!"

"No! I'm hungry."

"BORIS! Give it back; I bought it for Pierce, not for you!" Boris raised his eyebrow at me and smirked, reaching a finger up and poking me in the forehead. I blinked confused. Why was he giving me that look?

"Eh~? I thought you said it was an extra... Did you lie?"

"It _was_ an extra!" I growled. What made him figure out I was lying? "Now give it back!"

"But you just said you _bought _it for him. So, which was it?" Crap. I didn't even notice.

"J-Just give it back before I step on your foot again!" His face suddenly appeared right in front of mine, and I had to lean my head back uncomfortably. I didn't like how close he was. "Wh-What!?"

His nose twitched and I realized he was sniffing me. I tensed and felt my face turn even redder. "You smell like sweets...but you never touched a single cheesecake. So, was it really an extra?"

I exploded. "Yes, fine, damn it, you win! I bought the stupid thing for Pierce because Alice told me cheesecake was one of his favorites, and I didn't know if he hated me or not for leaving him at the Hatter's Mansion, so I was gonna apologize, and I thought-Hey, Elliot said there's a cake shop? Does Pierce like cheesecake? And then I felt stupid for that thought because it was completely stereotypical since he's a mouse, but asked Alice anyway after she made me go shopping with her and she said yes, so I asked Nightmare if I could borrow some money so I could buy the cheesecake and give it to Pierce because I didn't know when I was gonna see him and I had no idea if Elliot was going to let me bring a friend with, so I settled with bringing him something from the shop instead! My _apologies_ for trying to be _nice_! Obviously I'm not allowed, so maybe I should just keep being a jerk instead!?"

I blinked, completely stumped and confused, when Boris grinned and placed the box in my hands.

"See? Was that so hard?" His eyes flashed mischievously at me as he smirked.

..._Haaaaah? I-I'm so confused...What just happened? _My brain couldn't process it. Was I...tricked? Wait, did Boris know all along? How!?

He chuckled and flicked my lightly in the forehead. "I saw you buy the cake in town when I was walking past the shop." He then leaned down, whispering in my ear with a grin, "I also saw you cuddling with that stuffed bear in the toy store when Alice wasn't looking." I froze, and was barely able to react when Pierce suddenly shot up and wrapped his arms around my neck, pulling me away from a laughing Boris.

He...he _saw? _I was horrified. Now-Now he's going to make fun of me! He'll never let me live it down! NOOOOOOO!

"Don't touch her!"

_Haaah? _My poor brain. I barely noticed Pierce pulled the box out of my hands and set it on his lap, or when he reached up and kissed me on the cheek with a "Chuu"~! I blinked multiple times before my brain started to work again, turning to look at Pierce in confusion when I saw opening the box. He looked down and smiled at me, causing...something to flutter about in my chest. It was difficult not to smile back.

"I love cheesecake! Thank you-Chuu!"

"Oh, uh, you-you're welcome?" It came out more like a question, still slightly confused by all the sudden events.

He chuckled at my confused face. "You're so cute, chuu~!"

"Uh...I try?"

"W-Welcome everyone, t-to th-this Assembly," Nightmare's voice stammered out. "F-Fellow t-territories..." Poor guy. _Oh, hey! I can think again! Thank you, Nightmare!_ His voice squeaked a little right after I said that and I flinched. _Sorry... _

I jumped when I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and whirled my head around to see Pierce hugging me, his head resting on my shoulder with a smile on his face. Wh-What's he doing?

"You're so nice..." He mumbled, causing me to blink at him. His grip tightened on me and I tensed when felt his hands touch my bare arms. He was...surprisingly warm. Slowly, I relaxed into the awkward hug, causing Pierce's ear to twitch.

Boris looked at the scene with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, his tail swishing back-and-forth in amusement. "I want a pillow, too, you know." He said, his cat ears twitching. I stared at him blankly, but that didn't last long before a grin spread across my face.

"Deal with it. You got a fluffy black thing." Boa. I think that's what it's called. I like "fluffy black/pink thing" better though. He pouted at me, and he seriously reminded me of Amber at that moment. (Thought I forgot about her, huh? No...She just likes to hibernate in Nightmare's room. Traitor) I stuck my tongue out at him with a smirk. "Besides, if you tried to use me as a pillow, I'd be squished."

"Like this?" Before I could react, Boris wrapped one arm around my shoulders and the other around my stomach, his head resting on my shoulder. This...was awkward. Wait, why hasn't Pierce squeaked in terror yet? Turning my head to look at the teen, I tensed when I got a face-full of soft red hair. I blinked and looked down, surprised to see Pierce breathing softly with closed eyes...

He was sleeping. Kinda...cute, actually. Like a baby.

Awkwardly, I moved my left arm-the one that was _not _being held by the sleeping mouse or crushed by the crazy cat-and placed my hand on Pierce's head, gently ruffling his hair. Due to me moving my arm and shoulder, his head and fell and rested on my chest, causing me to tense before forcefully relaxing. Samuel and Samantha used to use me as a pillow like this all the time, so honestly I should be used to it by now...

But they were family. Pierce wasn't.

I petted his head slowly and made a face when Boris yawned next to my ear. "Can you pet me too?" He asked quietly, sounding rather tired. I looked surprised, debated whether or not to actually do it, before sighing and doing as he asked. He was a cat, so... I reached up and scratched behind his left ear, drawing out a purr, before running a hand down through his hair. I brushed my thumb across his scalp gently for a small moment before running my hand down his head. I tensed when he nuzzled my neck, breathing softly. "That feels good..."

_Aaaand _they're both asleep. And on me. _Greeaaat. _Just what I wanted... I could feel my face heat up in embarrassment and had a feeling my heart picked up the pace again. I looked up at the people in the other rows and flinched, quickly diverting my gaze when I saw some people smirking and smiling at me in amusement. Vivaldi looked rather interested, while Peter looked like he wanted to shoot the two animal-attribute teens. Ace was just smiling like the hopeless idiot he was-remind me to apologize to him later for snapping at him- and Elliot just looked amused at the whole thing. Blood was smirking at me, and I swore I saw him give me a thumbs up from underneath the table.

Please remind me to bang my head against a wall later. This is so embarassing.

Alice just looked at me with a small smile, not sure whether to be sympathetic or amused.

Ugh...Kill me now. B-But...

I scowled, leaning my head back as I glared at the ceiling.

They're so cute when they're sleeping...like little kids... I suddenly remembered something. _Pierce doesn't get to sleep because of the fear of Boris eating him, so how...is he sleeping so easily when Boris is right next to him? Does Pierce ever get to sleep at all? _That was an interesting question.

The Assembly continued on for about another hour or two, with Nightmare stammering as he tried to address everything. I let out a yawn myself, all my limbs having fallen asleep due to the two teens using me as a pillow, before deciding to lean my head back and try and sleep for myself.

...

_I slammed the door open and ran in, rushing over the bed the sleeping adult was on._

_"Derek! Derek, wake up! It's me, Alexis! Derek!" I cried out, shaking the adult frantically as I tried to wake him up. "Bro! Dude! Derek! Delilah! Whatever you want me to call you in order to wake you up! WAKE UP!" The dirty-blonde groaned and shifted in his sleep, his glasses still on his face. Derek must have fallen asleep while fixing something. All his tools were still spread across the bed. Honestly, how can he expect to get a girlfriend if he's so careless about his health? "Brother!" _

_"A...lexis?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows at me as he yawned. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Aurora?" _

_"I-" I cut myself off, realizing that he really didn't know about my disappearance. "You're dreaming right now, Derek. I'm not in Aurora anymore." _

_"Then where are you?" He questioned, frowning as he sat up and pulled off his glasses, rubbing at his eyes. "It's three o' clock in the morning. Why are you in my dorm room? And how am I dreaming?" _

_"Because I can apparently walk in dreams. You wouldn't believe me if I told you where I was." _

_Derek frowned as he placed on his glasses, before blinking as he took in my current attire. "Hey...That outfit..." He froze. He then shot up off of his bed and grabbed me by the shoulders, leaning down to look me in the eyes. "Alexis. Tell me where you are, **right now.**" _

_"Th-The Assembly Hall in C-Clover Tower..." _

_"Clover?" He appeared confused. "That's not right...Mom said it was Diamond." _

_"...Hah?" What did he mean "Mom"? He never spoke about Mom. Yeah, he knew her before she died when he turned ten, but... "What are you talking about?" _

_He looked at me blankly for a moment, an expression that was often found on my face and mirrored, before stating in realization, "Oh, that's right! Sorry, I forgot you didn't know her. She went to Diamond Country. You must be in one of the other three, then. Hey, you wanna see the project I'm working on!? An idiot broke his watch so I have to fix it-" I cut him off when he reached over to grab his screwdriver. _

_"Derek. What do you mean Mom went to Wonderland?" He froze, before dropping himself onto the bed and crossing his legs with a frown. He turned his head and bit his lip. He then reached up and scratched the side of his neck, a habit I gained from him, sighing. _

_"She was nineteen, okay? She said her parents died in a fire. Then she got abducted by a black rabbit. Met a boy named Nightmare, told her how to get home, and she wasted no time in talking to people and filling her vial. She went home and instantly regretted it, having not realized her parents were dead." _

_"Wait, what do you mean she didn't know her parents were dead!? You said that she was depressed **because** of their deaths!" _

_"The boy she met erased her memories about it. He was giving her a chance to be happy." Derek explained, fiddling with his fingers as he tried to stop them from tapping against his leg. He had horrible ADHD, but when he wanted he was able to focus. He just needed a distraction to keep him working. He then grabbed his screwdriver and the broken watch on the bed, fiddling with it and twisting in a small bolt. "He regretted that decision when she left. Mom met dad then, and had me. She wasn't expected to have another kid, but you popped up suddenly and she was all happy. She threw a fit that she had to go to work and leave you at home with me. Before she left, she told me the story about Diamond and the people she met; how she met a guy named Sydney, the guy who grabbed her, and how she really liked him, but went home regardless because she thought her parents needed someone to take care of them. She had no idea they were dead. Unfortunately, once she left Wonderland, she couldn't go back, and said that if I ever ended up going there, and met someone I really liked, I should stay. She told me to tell you the same thing, but I didn't really believe her all that much until she showed me a picture she took." _

_"Derek..." _

_"So, don't go thinking that you should return for some "duty" or whatever. If you're happy there, stay there. But only make the choice when your vial is filled. Mom didn't want us to make the same decision as her." _

_"B-But..."** Why...** "Why can't I!? I miss you! I miss you, and dad, and my friends! Why are you telling me to stay!?" _

_"Because mom's last wish was for us to be happy! The hospital couldn't save her, and dad was unable to preserve her happiness! All she wants is for us to be happy! So-So even if...Even if I won't see my little sister again, as long as you're happy..." Derek's eyes were starting to water and he quickly turned his head from, frowning as he glared at a wall. "As long as you're happy, you can stay there. But!" He quickly whirled around and gave me a stern look, causing me to stare at him blankly. "The very second someone makes you cry, makes you unhappy in Wonderland, you come back instantly, okay!? I'm not letting you stay if you're unhappy!" _

_"D-Derek..." _

_"What is it?" Before he could react, I tackled him, burying my face into his chest as I cried. He was surprised and had to catch his balance so not to fall off the bed. He wrapped his arms around me and holding me close. "Hey...No crying. You know I don't like seeing my little sister cry." _

_"I don't care what mom said! You're my-my brother! I'm not-I'm not gonna leave you here!" _

_"Then find someone and make **him** your brother, Alexis." I froze at his words, kind as they may be, and looked up at him stunned. He was smiling softly at me. "I think you can do that for me, yeah? Get a new brother? I love you, but if you're going to cry..." He looked like he was about to cry himself. I never should have opened his door. "Then find a brother who won't make you cry." _

_"B-But...you're my brother..." I don't want a different brother! I want **my **brother! I flinched when he kissed my forehead, before flicking me in the face. I whined. "Why'd you do that!?" _

_"Because you won't stop complaining! I'm trying to be the good guy here and not be selfish, and here you are making me regret every word that's comin' outta my mouth! How rude are you? You think I want to give up my little sister to some random guy? I'm thinkin' 'bout you here!" He let out a loud yawn and fixed me with another annoyed face. "I'm **trying** to be nice, but you're crying and complaining about me being nice, and making me want to be a jerk and guilt-trip you into coming back here!" _

_"S-Sorry..." _

_"No apologizing! I'll smack you if you do." I flinched, but scowled at him. I wiped my tears away with my hands. I inhaled shakily and sighed, hugging Derek again. "Good girl. No more crying. You look hideous." _

_"Hey!" I said and pulled back, smacking him in the arm. He laughed at me as I pouted. "You're so mean! Besides, I don't even know for sure if I'm gonna stay in Wonderland or not! I have to think about other people, too, you know." _

_He pouted and scowled, turning his head. "What? Am I not important enough?" _

_"Hey, hey, I never said that! Stop twisting my words!" _

_"I can't twist something if I'm not holding something." _

_"Gah-Shut up! Jerk!" _

_"Yeah, yeah. Love you too." _

_I scowled at him before muttering reluctantly, "Love you too, jerk." He grinned before reaching out and pulling me into another hug. _

_"I'm gonna miss you squirt!" _

_"I'm not a squirt! You're just tall!" _

_"Haha! Lie to yourself all you want!" _

_"I'm not lying! You're twenty-five! You have an unfair advantage in height!" It was true. Derek was six-foot-one. He'd make one heck of a basketball player. "Wah! You're fading!" _

_"Says you." _

_"No! I don't wanna wake up yet!" I complained, planning on punching the person who's waking me up. Derek hugged me one last time, causing me to blink in surprise before hugging him back. "Derek?" _

_"Don't make a decision you'll regret," He warned me, just as everything faded. _

"Chuu!" I groggily opened my eyes and blinked at the feeling of something soft pressing against my mouth. My eyes widened at the sight of Pierce pulled away and hugging me with his arms around my neck. "You're so cute-Chuu!"

D-Did he ju-just-? GAH! Why does he keep doing that!? J-Jerk!

He then paused, ear twitching, and pulled away. He looked at me with a wide smile. "You're awake! The Assembly's over now-Chuu!"

"Stop molesting the foreigner!" Boris ordered, glaring at Pierce. The dormouse squeaked and scooted away from Boris, terror in his eyes. Funny how they were sleeping so peacefully next to each other before. Wait, what did Derek say? She met a _boy _named _Nightmare. _So did Nightmare...

I was going to have to ask. I stood up, seeing how the Assembly was over, and started to make my way out of the aisle. However, Boris and Pierce would hear none of it.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going!?"

"I need to ask Nightmare something!" I told them quickly, but quickly let out a surprised scream when I was knocked onto the ground, Pierce having tackled my waist.

"W-Wait! You-You don't want to eat the cake with me?" I turned my head and was about to tell him off, only to pause at the look on his face.

Damn waterworks... "Y-You can come with me...I-I guess we can eat it in the kitchen...B-But then right after I'm finding Nightmare!"

He beamed, and before I could escape Pierce quickly lunged and started planting kisses on my face. "You're so cute-Chuu~!"

"H-Hey! S-Stop that-! Gah-!"

There was amused chuckling and I looked up to see Blood standing beside Pierce and me, Alice with an arm around his back. He had an arm around the blonde's shoulder. "Well, well. It seems that little miss foreigner has already ensnared the dormouse into her grasp, and is slowly luring in the Cheshire cat."

There was clapping, and I lifted my head up to see Vivaldi staring down at me with an amused ruby-colored smirk. "Alexis knows how to get men to bow to her will. We, Vivaldi, do still approve of you."

"N-Not really!" I protested, putting my hands on Pierce's shoulders and pushing him off. Vivaldi froze once she saw Pierce's face, and looked like she was about to scream. "H-hey! Calm down, calm down! Pierce is friendly!" Pierce just stared at Vivaldi, who let out an ear-splitting scream.

"RAT!"

Pierce broke out into tears.

"Dirty rat-someone kill it!"

I was alarmed. Kill Pierce!? NO! I quickly lunged forward and tackled Pierce, causing the crying mouse to let out a squeak in surprise as he stumbled, before catching his balance. "No killing my friend!"

Vivaldi looked horrified at me. "You are friends with that filthy creature!?"

"Y-Yeah, but I'm also friends with Boris! Do you hate cats too!?" I loved cats. I've never really seen an actual mouse before except for the short story _Flowers for Algernon _on the cover with the small albino mouse. And the mice on TV...But I thought Algernon was adorable. I felt like crying when I read the story though. It was sad.

Vivaldi just looked confused at this point, and Boris just looked happy at the fact that I called him a friend. I tightened my grip around Pierce when I felt him place his arms around my waist. "You...are friends with both cat and mouse?"

"Y-yeah..."

"We must speak with you later about this confusing concept," Vivaldi said, looking down at me with purple eyes. Man, she was really pretty... "We must go now..."

Wait, where did Ace go? I looked around the room in confusion before frowning in disappointment, realizing I couldn't apologize. Damn it all. Suddenly I was ripped away from Pierce by Peter, who was hugging me tightly.

"I'm horribly sorry for the sudden greeting, but I wasn't aware that we'd have such a late meeting!"

... Oh! Okay, I get it now. Translation: I'm sorry I wasn't able to greet you earlier, but the meeting had already started when you were available to talk to.

"It's fine." _I don't think he's going to be killing me... _

"Peta!" Pierce cried out happily, about ready to run over and hug Peter and kiss him, but before he could do anything Peter took out his gun and pointed it straight at his forehead with the darkest glare I've ever seen him wear.

"Touch me with those vile hands and I will make you wish that you had ran." Tears welled up in Pierce's eyes as he broke out into sobs.

"Pierce-! Peter, what the heck!?" I demanded, giving him a look. I quickly pushed myself away from him and ran after Pierce, trying to figure out where he went. Unfortunately, when Pierce ran, you couldn't even hear his footsteps, and when he ran...he was _fast_. Damn it. "Pierce!"

Ugh...Why do I bother? I wandered the hallways trying to find him, pausing when I opened a room with lots of stairs...and doors. _Talking _doors.

_"Open me! ME!" _

_"No, me! Open me, Alexis!" _

_"Over here!" _

"Shut up! I'm not opening you!" Last time was a fluke, and luckily I didn't even turn the handle before Pierce had tackled me. Nightmare would have gotten mad at me. "So, shush!"

_"Open me, please!" _

I tried to tune them out as I wandered about the stairs, annoyed. I didn't like this. I shouldn't be here. However, something was telling me to go down these stairs... I paused, seeing a teak wood door with intricate designs on it. _"Open me!" _It cried. Open it...huh? Slowly I found myself walking towards, eyes glazing over as my mind became blank.

What would happen if I opened the door... Would I go home?

_"Open me!" _

Something wooden and smooth caressed the palm of my hand as my fingers wrapped around it. My wrist slowly turned...

Pain hit my skull as I felt myself collide against the ground painfully, somebody having tackled me and knocked me to the floor. "What are you doing!?"

"Ow..." I rubbed my poor head and blinked, confused. My blurry vision cleared and I could make out a single forest green eye, accompanied by a face that looked as though it had been crying. "Pierce? Ow...Where am I?"

"Wh-What are you doing here!?"

"Looking for you!" I told him, frowning at him. "What are _you _doing down here!?"

"I-I was running from P-Peta..." Something then hit me.

"Why did you try to hug Peter if he was just going to shoot you?" He sat up, allow me to push myself up with my arms. The doors finally decided to shut up. Pierce tilted his head as he looked down at me.

"He's a rabbit. I like rabbits. They make me feel comfortable around them, see? That's why I like Peta and Ellie so much!"

...I have no idea what the relationships between mice and rabbits are, but okay. I'll deal with it. "Can I get up now?"

"Are you still going to eat cheesecake with me?"

"Only if you let me stand."


	11. Beloved Ones

I stared at the box, stunned. It was just a tiny little thing moments ago, but now it was back to its normal size... Wait a minute... "Did you use a "Drink me" potion or something?" Pierce looked down at me in surprise before smiling.

"Yeah, I did! You know about those, Alexis?"

"Um, kinda. There were books and movies about the story _Alice in Wonderland_," Pierce looked very interested in what I was saying, and I tried my best not to stammer and screw up. "And after she chases the rabbit down the hole, she appears in this room with a tiny door in a wall that only a mouse could fit through." Pierce blinked before smiling. I didn't get the joke, other than the fact that the tower had tiny little doors all over in multiple rooms-mine included. "And, she found out that in order to get through, she needed to use the key on the table and drink the potion. However, she only realized that she needed the key _after _she drank the potion, so she had to-she had to eat a cake that made her grow larger. She then pocketed the key, drank a little more of the potion, and was able to go through the door and enter Wonderland."

"Really? That's so cool-Chuu!"

"I-I guess..." I never really thought of it as cool. Now, the Tim Burton version-_that _was cool. "I preferred the version where Alice had to become this warrior-girl and slay the Jabberwocky." Pierce's green eyes grew wide.

"Eh, really!? Alice did?"

"Th-Their version of Alice did, yeah... She even quoted the Queen and shouted, "Off with your head" before cutting it off. The Mad Hatter was hilarious," I laughed remember when he ran on top of the table to greet Alice, and when he started talking about hats to the Red Queen, "And the dormouse-" Pierce looked at me intently, "She poked the bandersnatch in the eye and took out its eyeball in order to protect Alice. She was a little rough around the edges, but she was pretty cool. Um, let's see...The March Hare was completely insane, but he was adorable. I loved the "You're late for tea"! and where he threw the cup at a wall." I grinned and clapped my hands together, smiling widely. "It was so awesome! I love that movie. I'm glad I have it on Netflix on my phone." I then remembered something and slapped myself on the forehead. "Your plate! Right! Sorry, sorry-! I started rambling!"

"What about your plate?" Pierce asked in confusion. I blinked and turned my head to look at him.

"It's your cake."

"Y-You said you'd eat it with me, though..."

Ah, I did, didn't I... "Sorry! My head still hurts a bit from earlier so I'm not really thinking straight. Uh, h-here-" I stood on my toes as I grabbed the plates out of the cabinet, closing it, before rushing over and placing the plates on the table. "Um, I'll let you cut it. I don't trust myself with knives. Hold on-" I rushed over to the silverware drawer and opened it, pulling out two forks and a kitchen knife. I held the knife cautiously, a bit paranoid about dropping it and cutting myself.

Pierce took the knife from me, and I pushed the fearful thought of him accidentally hurting himself as he grabbed it, and nearly yanked my hand back in surprise when a shock went up my arm. However, I managed to control myself in time and released the knife once I was sure he had a grip on it. I watched in surprise-though my face remained neutral- as he expertly cut the cake.

I then remembered what Elliot said about him before Mafia, and how he was the "Clean up" guy and that he often interrogated and killed people. He was probably used to wielding knives...

An image of Pierce stabbing me popped into my head and I quickly whirled around to the cabinet to grab cups, forcing the thought out of my head. Pierce wouldn't do that... Right?

"Hey, you want something to drink?" I asked him, causing him to lift his head at me and smile.

"Yeah. Is there any coffee?"

I had to think about it for a moment before realizing I could have just looked at the coffee maker. "I think." I walked over to the counter it was on and nodded, "Yeah. I remember Gray making some for Nightmare earlier, so there should be plenty for you left." I quickly set a mug down and poured him a cup of coffee, before getting a glass of tea for myself. His nose twitched and he eyed my cup with disdain for a moment before asking,

"Do you not drink coffee?"

I paused before answering, sitting down at the table after I placed his cup near him, "Not-Not the strong kind...I'm-Well, I'm trying to get used to drinking it, 'cause you can't drink tea all the time, right? I-I like the coffee that's half-strength." He stared at me for a moment before smiling, and I felt like I had just avoided a bullet. And trust me, doing that isn't very fun. My shoulder's almost completely healed though, so that's a plus. It'll scar however. "...Elliot said you hated tea. Is that true?"

'Cause, like, in my opinion I _loved _tea.

Pierce stopped cutting the cake and carefully lifted a piece onto a plate. "Yeah. I hate the Queen and Blood because they hate coffee and only drink tea." His voice had went a tone darker. "But you try to drink coffee! You're different from them!" His dark tone vanished as he lifted his head and smiled at me. I felt like I was being threatened... "And you're nice! You protect me from the bad kitty and Queen." He placed the second slice of cheesecake on another plate and closed the box, setting down the knife.

I blinked a couple of times and tensed a little when he walked over and placed the plate in front of me, before taking a seat beside me. He cut into the cake neatly with his fork and bit into it, smiling as he pulled the fork out of his mouth and chewed.

I was almost scared to eat. However, I felt a little safer since he put the knife down.

"Eh? Why aren't you eating?" I looked up at Pierce, realizing I had zoned out again. He frowned, "Do you not think the cake will taste good?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, it's not that. I love cheesecake. I just zoned out a little-" I cut myself off, staring at the fork with the piece of cheesecake on it suddenly in front of my face. "Hah?"

"Try it! It's yummy-Chuu!"

"I-I can just try my own slice-"

"Say "Ahh"~!" He was smiling, and I could only stare at him with wide eyes as my face flushed red. This was so weird. I looked at the way he was holding the fork and noted that there was no way for me to grab it. He-He was... Damn it. Fine. I'll bite off the fork. Despite being embarrassed, I opened my mouth and watched as Pierce placed the piece of cake inside my mouth. I closed it, and he pulled the fork out with a smile and a small laugh. "See? Isn't it good?" I turned my head, refusing to look at Pierce as I chewed the delicious piece of cheesecake.

"...It's not bad." He merely grinned at me as he closed his eye, holding his fork up in the air. Damn. Why is he so cute? I scowled and grumbled to myself as I picked up _my _fork and bit out of _my _cheesecake...

_Well damn. I just realized this, but that's considered an indirect-an indirect k-k-kiss...NO! I'M NOT COUNTING ANY OF PIERCE'S KISSES AS MY FIRST KISS! THERE ARE NO FEELINGS IN THEM. He kisses everything. Like Nightmare, and Peter! Even Elliot! _

Ugh...Stupid heart keeps beating faster. I don't like Pierce like that. If anything, it's that stupid physical attraction because he's a boy and I'm a girl, and we're both teenagers so that proves my theory. It's only the hormones and testosterone confusing me. He's just a friend.

...But I never had this problem with any of my other guy friends in my world! Then again, they didn't constantly hug or kiss me... Or call me "cute" and mean it... No. Pierce is only joking when he says that... right?

"Hey, Pierce..." The ginger boy turned his head and looked at me curiously. "You...Elliot...Elliot said you worked for the Mafia as the "Clean up" guy. Was he-Was he telling the truth?" I still couldn't image him doing that. However, the serious look on his face when he rushed to the tower after my wound opened, or what he said about Blood and Vivaldi, made me start to think otherwise. "I-I'm just curious!"

"...Blood says he'll kill me if I don't, and the twins always throw the dead bodies at me." Pierce muttered, voice deeper than it was when he was talking about the cake. He sounded more his age, or maybe even someone older. "It's my role as a member of the Mafia. It's just that "thing" I have to do."

...Ah, I get it now. I think. He's threatened into doing it. And he has no choice in the matter, because a role-holder can not chose their role. Very much like an actor in a play. "That makes sense, I guess." I watched him take a bite of his cake and flinched, "S-Sorry for-Sorry for bringing it up..." I felt really bad now. I think I put him in a bad mood. "I-I'll stop talking."

"Hm?" He looked at me surprised. It was really awkward because he was sitting right next to me. His ear twitched, "You don't have to do that! D-Did I make you upset!?"

"Eh? No! I thought I made _you_ upset!"

"B-But you said-"

"You're the one who got all-who got all quiet-"

We both cut ourselves off, staring at each other silently for a moment. We then smiled and I felt that weird nervous feeling bubble again. Those damn annoying butterflies. What am I even nervous _about? _Is it nervousness? Or...was it excitement? Yeah. I think it was the latter. I was happy because Pierce wasn't upset and he was smiling again. I liked smiling Pierce.

Though, he smelt oddly of sunflowers. I had no idea why, but I really wasn't going to ask. "Hey...Alexis...where'd you get the cut on your face?"

"Hah? What cut?" _What's he talking about? _I don't remember getting cut anywhere.

"This one." Suddenly he moved closer and brushed some hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. I felt my face flare up at the close contact, and tensed when he ran two fingers down my jaw, close to my ear. I understood why he did what he did now-my hair was covering the mark. "Here."

I remembered. Reaching a hand up suddenly and pressing it against the wound, I winced. Ah, I've been neglecting it without even knowing. I was so busy I forgot all about it. I remember cleaning it after I got back from shopping with Alice, but... after that it was all a blur. "Oh, yeah, that. I was playing with the twins when a knife fell and cut me. No big deal."

Pierce blinked at me, before fear struck across his face. "You've been playing with the twins!? Why!? Did they hurt you!?"

_Ahahaha...Funny he should ask that. _"Um, no..."

He frowned, tears in his eyes, before he reached up and brushed his fingers gently against my cut. "Did they do that to you?"

"Not on purpose."

"Did it hurt?"

"Kinda. I wasn't expecting it." Wait, what? Ah! He tricked me!

I froze when he suddenly cupped my face with his hand, his ear twitching again, and tilted my head. "H-Hey, Pierce, what-what are you-?" I stilled. Warm lips pressed against the cut kindly, lingering for three seconds before moving away. D-Did-Did he j-just...?

"Do you feel better? Alice said kissing injuries make them feel better-Chuu!"

"H-_Haaaah?_" I gaped at him, unable to believe what I was hearing. "Y-You-Why did you-?" He smiled at me, before asking innocently,

"Do I need to kiss it again-Chuu?"

"N-No-No, I-I think I'm good. Th-Thanks. I-I feel much better." His ear kept twitching. Why was it doing that? "Why does your ear keep twitching like that?"

"I can hear your heart race-Chuu." He answered, causing my face to turn a really dark shade of red. His ear twitched again. "Eh? There it is again! It's fasted now! Are you okay? Am I making you flustered again?"

"I-I'm not flustered!" I protested, before scooting my chair away from him and taking a bite of my cheesecake. I chewed it quickly and swallowed, stating with a stutter, "You're-You're just being delusional, that's all. My heart-My heart isn't racing."

"...Can I bite you?"

"N-No! I said no already!"

"What, why!? I wanna know if you taste like cheese!" I choked on air as I whipped my hear around to stare at him incredulously.

"Okay, just because I like cheesy foods, does _not _mean I taste like cheese. I probably taste like salt or something."

"Eh? You like cheese too? Wait, how am I supposed to know that you don't taste like cheese if I don't bite you?"

"B-because! Then-Then that'd be cannibalism!"

"B-But I won't be eating you!"

I pointed my finger at him like I was scolding a dog, "No. Bad Pierce. I taste bad. Biting me is a bad thing. You're already pushing it with all the kissing."

His bottom lip trembled and I tried not to give in. He was so cute. "Y-You don't like my kisses...?" _ACK! _

"Th-That's not what I meant!"

"Th-Then why do you get s-so mad when I t-try to kiss you?"

"B-because! I-I told you already! I-I've never been kissed by a guy before until you popped up!" Oh, god. That makes me sound like some pathetic girl who can't get a date. It's not my fault people hate me. How do half the people in my school get boy/girlfriends anyway? With the way they talk about their private lives...

He paused, thinking for a moment. I felt like this was deja vu. "So...I'm the first to kiss you?"

I let out an annoyed sigh, staring at him exasperatedly. "_Yes. _How many times do we have to go through this?" I was about to say something else, but was quickly cut off by Pierce suddenly leaning forward and pressing his mouth against mine, his hands on my shoulders before quickly wrapping around my back and pressing me up against him. I froze, startled and stunned. My arms were pressed against my sides and unable to move because of Pierce's. I could feel the muscle beneath his multiple layers of clothing. My face flared as his mouth moved against mine and I tried to lean my head back to get him to stop, but Pierce took that as the opportunity to plant multiple kisses on my jawline before moving down to my neck.

"Ah-Ow!" I cried out, squirming as he messed with my sensitive neck. "H-Hey-_Pierce!_" My voice squeaked loudly, "Ow! Stop biting me!" Pierce pulled away with a pout, obviously upset about something. His nose was barely touching mine, and yet I could still feel his hot breath brush against my face. Cheese and Coffee.

"You don't taste like cheese," He said, stating the obvious with a pout. "I'm sad now-Chuu. You still taste good, though." Somehow I managed to worm my right arm out from against his chest and grab his chin, lifting his head up when he tried to attack my neck again. "H-Hey! I can't bite you with your hand in the way, Alexis!"

"I-I don't want to be bitten!" E-Even if I...kinda liked it. My neck felt slightly wet though. Please tell me that's not his saliva... I could still remember the sudden kiss from earlier. My face flared again. "J-Just drink your coffee and eat you ch-cheesecake!"

"Mm...But you taste so much better."

"I-I-I-I-" I couldn't even get the rest of the sentence out. "I DON'T CARE!" I blurted, squeezing my eyes shut as I pushed Pierce away. "I-I want to eat my cake in peace! You-You just finish yours, okay? No more sexual harassment for the day!"

"Ehhh? But I wasn't harassing you!" Th-Then why were you biting and sucking on my neck!?

My shoulders scrunched up at the memory, able to still feel his tongue brushing against my neck. If this is what Elliot and Peter have to go through whenever Pierce sees them, I pity them.

However, the thought that bugged me most... I actually liked Pierce kissing me...and I won't say that I _hated _it when he bit me...

Ugh. I felt like banging my head against a wall.

...

I groaned, burying my face into the pillow on Nightmare's couch. Nightmare had just barely avoided Gray's wrath again and barely escaped with his mug of coffee. I swear, he acts like its his child or something. Kinda funny, though. "Why...?"

"Why what?" Nightmare asked, causing me to lift my head and declare with a blank face,

"You don't want to know." What was I going to ask Nightmare again...? Oh, yeah. I remember now. "Hey, Nightmare-"

"Hold on a moment!" I watched in confusion as he jumped out of his chair, obviously happy to find an excuse to get out of work, and watched him run over to me. He had me sit up before taking the pillow I was holding and placing it in my lap. I was confused all the way until he laid down on the couch, placing his head on the pillow on my lap. He laced his fingers together and rested them on his chest, smiling up at me as he closed his eye. "Okay, now ask."

"Um...Okay. You said I was a Dreamer, right? And that means I can walk into other people's dreams?"

"Correct. However, you are not "a" Dreamer, but you are "_The_" Dreamer. Only specific foreigners get specific roles, and you are the only one in this century who will get the role of Dreamer if you chose to stay."

"W-Well," I continued, putting that information away in my mind for a later time, "I-I talked to my brother and-and he said that...I-I never knew her, so-so don't start asking me about her, okay? She died not long after I was born. But-But my brother said-he said our mom went to Wonderland..." Nightmare frowned, opening his eye to stare up at me. I swallowed, uncomfortable. "She-She was kidnapped by a black rabbit named Sydney and...and met a boy with the same name as you. She-She left Wonderland, though, 'cause she though her parents needed her. Was that...Was that really you? Did you know my mom?"

"...In a way, yes. Diamond is a country in Wonderland, yes, but with younger counterparts. While she may have met my _younger _self, she did not in actuality meet _me _except for in her dreams, in which both me and my younger self spoke to her. So in a way, yes, I did know your mother. She met me when I was teenager and as an adult."

"...Please tell me Wonderland doesn't have Time Travel?" He merely cracked a grin, smiling sympathetically at me. I hung my head and groaned, pausing when I felt one of my hairclips fall out and land on Nightmare's chest, falling on his neck and sliding down into his hair against the pillow. I snorted as he blinked, lifting his head up so I could retrieve the black hairclip. Of course the one that fell out was the black one and not the white.

"That was sudden." He commented in amusement before re-situating his head and getting comfortable. "In a way, yes, there is time travel in Wonderland. But only between Heart and Diamond. Clover...isn't really part of it, but is occasionally included with characters that help form the past of the residents in Heart. Such as Gray for example-I am able to enter dreams of those in Heart, so therefore Gray is part of diamond because he is included in my past."

"How long have you known Gray?" I asked in surprise. Were they childhood friends or something? Nightmare looked amused at my thought.

"Quite the opposite. He was hired to kill me."

"_What!? _And he's working for you now? How does that work out!?"

"Well, I'm a sickly dream demon, you know, and I was just a young teen at the time-around the same age as you, actually." I blinked, trying to picture a younger Nightmare. I couldn't imagine it. "How rude! _Anyway_, miss-meanie, he tried to kill me, but ended up saving my life instead. Somehow, during that, he decided to quit being an assassin and work for me."

"Assassin...Hey! That explains why he's so ninja all the time!" Like the time when he saved Nightmare from falling off the chandelier when I demanded what a Dreamer was... The thoughts that Gray put in my head _still _haunted me from time to time. He's twice my age!

"I'm twenty-eight! You're only half my age!" I scowled as I looked down at him, tempted to flick him in the forehead. He reached out and grabbed my hands before I could do so. "Don't even think about it!"

"Jerk!"

"Meanie!"

"Pirate-face!"

"Freckles!"

"That's just mean!"

"Says you!"

"...Nightmare..." I began, quiet all of a sudden as a thought hit me. Nightmare paused and loosened his grip on my wrists, looking up at me in confusion.

"What is it?" He asked softly, knowing what I was going to ask.

"What..." I swallowed and furrowed my eyebrows, blinking away the tears. "What was my mom like?"

Nightmare was silent, thinking for a moment, before saying, "She looked a lot like you. She was nice. Kind. Beautiful. She threw a fit whenever Gray tried to kill my younger self, and when someone threatened her she raged. She gave them a lecture worth remembering, and," He chuckled. "She loved cute things. She almost tried to put me in a dress. That was a frightening day. She was a lot like you though. Whenever someone showed her the slightest bit affection she'd get all frazzled and flustered and unable to think properly. She loved rabbits, though."

Nightmare paused suddenly, feeling something wet drip against his face. He looked up and saw me hanging my head, tears streaming silently down my face. He was silent before grabbing my hands, squeezing them gently. "You're a lot like her, Alexis. Your mother was a kind woman. You take after her."

I didn't speak, not for a long moment, before gripping Nightmare's large hands tightly. "W-Was she really? D-Did she really leave Wonderland d-despite her loving someone? Wh-Why? Why would she do that?"

"...Because she knew that there was someone more important waiting for her on the other side. If she didn't leave, you wouldn't be here now. No one would know you, because you would not exist. She knew that she had to bring such an important person along, and that she had to give up her selfish desires for the sake of her unborn children." His voice was soft and gentle, and it was just making me cry more.

"M-Mom...Mom... Why would she do that!? I'm not important! Sh-She was and-and she's not even here and-and-!" I broke down, clinging onto Nightmare's hands tightly as I rested my forehead on my knuckles. My shoulders shook and I trembled, biting my lip as I tried to hold back the sob. "She-She shouldn't have left!"

Nightmare slipped his hands away from mine and sat up, situating himself before hugging me tightly. His hand rubbed against my back comfortingly as I cried. "She was a selfless woman, Alexis. You can't hate her for that. She loved you. She didn't even know you were to exist yet, and she left, because she knew she had to bring you into the world. She knew she would love you more than anything. So please, stop crying. She wouldn't want to see you hurting yourself like this."

"B-Bu-But-!"

"Your mother was one of the nicest girl's I've ever met, and in Wonderland there are very few with such kind hearts. She would would cry if she saw you like this."

I didn't want to listen. I didn't want to admit it. But maybe...Maybe Nightmare was right? He knew my mom. I didn't. I curled up into a ball against Nightmare's chest, practically sitting on his lap as he held me close in a comforting hug. I continued to cry, sniffling and breathing shakily, trying to calm myself. _Nightmare was right. Nightmare was right._ I repeated it like a mantra. Nightmare spoke about my mother like my brother did...

I gripped his jacket tightly and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to picture my mother in my head. _Kind. Warm. Beautiful. _It was only a hazy, blurry image of a blonde. I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to get a better image. _Kind. Warm. Beautiful. _I remember what my brother told me about her. She had blonde hair and green eyes, like me... Nightmare placed a hand on my head and the image cleared.

Fair skin with a light dash of freckles across her face. Wavy hair tied in a low pigtail with side bangs, and warm olive-colored eyes smiling at you and offering to give you a hug. Her shoulders were broad, like mine, and she a thin waist. Her body was slightly blurred, but her face was clear as day.

I broke down sobbing again_, _clinging tightly onto Nightmare.

_Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. _

_Thank you. _


	12. Strangled Truth

**Should have done the disclaimer a while back, but like I said-wasn't truly awake. DX I was rereading some of the chapters and freaked out 'cause I thought my writing skills were degrading before increasing. I feel better after rewriting this chapter though. Phew...I am never waking up early again...except for school.  
**

**I don't know Joker/Clover/Heart no kuni no Alice (Obviously) or any other references. Everyone belongs to their respective owner.**

**Also, fun fact about Alexis: She's generally forgetful. That's why she forgot that Nightmare could float and freaked out when she saw him hanging from the chandelier. It's also why she keeps forgetting to vist Vivaldi. XD She can also memorize faces, but is terrible with names.  
**

My mother. My mother was a nice, kind, and beautiful woman. I believed Nightmare. He knew her. She fell in love but left Wonderland despite her feelings, all for the fact that her parents needed her.

But her parents were dead. Nightmare had rid her of those painful memories in an attempt to give her a chance at happiness. He regretted that action. He told me that he knew from the start that I was related to her, and that that was partially the reason why he had Peter bring me here to Wonderland. He said he erased Alice's memories of her sister's death from her mind to give her a chance, but said the only reason why he let me keep _my _painful memories is because he didn't want me to make the same choice as my mother.

I thanked him. I didn't want to forget Sarah or Jack. I didn't want to forget Erin or Conner, or Derek and my father... I didn't want to forget any of them. He let me keep those memories because they not only were a major part of my life, but because he didn't want me making a mistake, to choose a "bad end".

I was annoyed as all hell, though. Me keeping my memories just made it _that _much harder to make a choice-to make the choice when my vial got filled.

And right now, in my room, I was scowling unhappily as I stared at my more-than-half-empty vial. It wasn't even a quarter filled! It was starting to piss me off. I've been here-what? A month? I've stopped counting. It also didn't help that my phone liked to randomly die and recharge itself. It seemed to only work during the evenings. It died at night time and glitched during the mornings, so I wasn't able to text anyone, and only worked completely during the evenings. I then remembered as I stared at the vial that I needed to take my medicine.

I scrunched my nose up and reached my hand out to the desk beside me, placing my vial down and grabbing my small medicine bottle. I quickly uncapped the lid and poured the liquid into it, trying to scowl as I reluctantly drank the nasty thing. It tasted _horrible! _Almost as bad as the gross cherry cough syrup. I hated that stuff. The only reason I was drinking it was because my wound was almost completely healed, and would be within a few more time periods as long as I kept taking my medicine like I was supposed to. Apparently since the medicine was made for "Wonderlanders" as I so kindly dub them, it made my wounds heal much faster than usual and took away almost all pain. Bullet wounds usually take months, but it's only been a month and it's practically healed.

"Blegh." I made a face and scowled, putting the cap back on the bottle. Disgusting. "Nasty." It was understandable why Nightmare never wanted to drink his medicine, but to refuse to go to the hospital...? Gray kept trying to convince me to mix his medicine in with his food, but it would just taste horrible if I did so.

I put the bottle back down on the dresser and shoved my potion vial back into my jacket pocket. Surprisingly I haven't lost it yet. I'm generally bad at keeping things. I go to hide something and I completely forget where I even put it in the first place! I yawned loudly and stretched, careful not to kick or touch any of my drawings with my feet, and sneezed. _Freaking allergies, man... I'm so glad Wonderland doesn't have Winter. It would suck then. _For some reason, I always got sick during winter. Even worse than usual.

And these stupid allergies-! "_Achoo!_" Where were they even coming from?

...Wait a minute... Was Amber...? I took notice of all the cat fur on my bed and scowled. I loved cats...but I was allergic to them. No one wonder I kept sneezing so much nowadays; I kept forgetting about my allergy medicine. Oddly, I wasn't allergic to Boris. Ironic in a way, I think. "Didn't I run out?" Damn it. That wasn't good. The Tower was filled with nothing _but _cats because of Gray's kindness. Nightmare didn't complain-he loved animals and they cuddled with and kept him warm. I loved animals, too...

But damn it, it's like being lactose intolerant but loving ice cream. Poor Frank. The only lactose intolerant demi-god, too. "Where did I put it?" I crawled off of my bed, careful not to hit any of my papers, and started rushing about the room and opening and closing drawers, trying to find the medicine bottle. I seriously couldn't remember if Gray went and got me more allergy medicine or not. My sneezing was starting to give me a headache, and if that got any worse, than I would need medicine for _that_.

Finally finding the bottle, I practically ripped the lid off and dumped the inside onto the flat of my palm.

..._God freaking damn it! _I curse, but refuse to drop the bomb. _Now I'm gonna have to mooch off of Nightmare again and buy it myself! Damn it... Wait, is that Doctor guy still scared of me? _It was a completely random though, but I wondered how the guy who fixed my wound was doing. Well, I do know that he was the Doctor Gray kept getting all the medicine from, but...I don't know. Eh. He was a small town pharmacist, that was I all I really knew.

...

Yes! I didn't get lost! I cheered to myself a little before sneezing, as my clothes were covered in nothing but cat fur. If Pierce sees me, he'll probably scream in terror and run...

For some reason, that thought made my chest hurt a little. "_Achoo!_" Urk. Annoying. Painful. I don't like it. Damn. I entered the clinic and looked around for the Doctor, before shaking my head and just going up the aisles in the pharmacy store. Grabbing what I needed, ibuprofen and allergy medicine, and I went up to the counter and waited for the cashier to pop up. It took a bit, but the same Faceless who saved me from before appeared and stood at the counter, looking at me in surprise.

...I think. His eyebrows raised and his mouth opened slightly, but without eyes it was actually rather difficult to tell. "You are...Wh-What does Lord Nightmare want?"

"Uh...nothing, really. I just came to buy some medicine and stuff 'cause I ran out of allergy pills and I-I got a headache from all my sneezing..." He looked alarmed for a moment before relaxing, staring at me incredulously.

"Is that all? You're not going to have him give me dream horrors?" Some people in Wonderland talked strange, but I got used to it.

"Um...no. Uh, here-here's the money." I handed him the cash, which was the equivalent of five dollars in the U.S, and got at least three dollars back. Medicine didn't really cost that much here. It was surprising.

"So...You are the one that Mr. Ringmarc buys the allergy medicine for?" I looked up at the man and blinked.

"Yeah. Nightmare's-Nightmare's sickly, but he's not allergic to any of the animals. Gray keeps finding them. It's really weird." It was weird, but really really funny. One time he brought back flying squirrels and Nightmare woke up with one spread across on his face. It was hilarious. For being one of those guys with an extremely deep voice, he sounded almost exactly like a girl when he screamed. He fell out of his chair. I laughed. Then he complained. It was beautiful. "So, uh...how's things going?"

Translation: I want to thank you for saving my life since I never got to because you were scared of me and I have no idea how to start a conversation. Hi?

"...Good. Business is well. How about you, miss?"

"Uh, well... Good, I think. Found out my best friend is a member of the Mafia. Can't really imagine him killing anyone though." I placed a finger to my chin as I thought, not noticing the man stiffen. "He's adorable, though. Um... found out Nightmare knew my mother, ended up trying Gray's cooking and nearly died from food poisoning," He _really_, _REALLY _can't cook. Ugh...my stomach's churning just at the thought of the horrible food. The man cracked a smile at that. "And..._I still need to visit Vivaldi! _Oh my god...She's gonna kill me!" I only visited her, like, once, and that when I went to ask Peter a question. The only other times we talked were in the Assemblies and quite frankly, I had to keep coming with excuses to prevent her from chopping my head when she demanded why I haven't visited her yet.

Excuse 1) _Babysitting Nightmare and making sure he did his work_

Excuse 2) _Sick and unable to move_

Excuse 3) _Kept getting lost _

I mainly used excuses one and three. Mainly because they were true. I wasn't as bad as Ace, but I was still pretty bad when it came to getting where I needed. Stress lines ran down my face as the image of my head in a guillotine, a sharp blade glinting before sliding down and slicing through my neck like pudding. My head rolling across the ground as the last images I'd see where of people in a crowd spinning...before slowly gliding to a stop...

Damn. I'm twisted. Where's a wall? I need to bang my head against something.

"I don't want my head cut off~!" I whined, lifting my head up towards the ceiling.

"Then I suggest you visit her, miss." The man suggested, causing me to hang my head and sigh in defeat.

"Yeah, true...I'm gonna go now..." I grudgingly walked out of the store, scowling and pouting and throwing a fit in my head. I didn't like how I constantly had to visit people to avoid death. Elliot seemed intent on becoming my friend and often invited me out to eat at that cake place, as I was still a bit scared of him, and Dee and Dum kept trying to figure out new and more creative ways to scare the ever living crap out of me. Blood could care less, though I think he found me amusing, and Peter kept popping up randomly and hugging me, before trying to shoot some random person.

Those poor people...

I think Boris and Pierce were my best friends here, though. Nightmare and Gray were my adult friends...I think Nightmare was more like-

I stopped walking, frozen.

Nightmare was like a brother.

"-_find someone and make **him **your brother-" _Damn it, Derek... Why do you want me to stay so badly? Why do you want me to get more attached?

My breath hitched in my throat when I realized what the game was all about. In order to fill the vial, I had to interact with people...and interacting with people will cause you to become attached to the inhabitants of this world, and therefore making the choice to go home tougher on you because you will have people you care about here _and _there. This game was one big trap... It was a mind game. One that pulls on your heartstrings. It was sick. And worst of all...

...the people here only fell for you because of the potion. Which means that Pierce and Boris and Nightmare and Gray all weren't...even Elliot...

...they weren't really my friends. They only liked me because of that stupid potion. So, if I never drank it...would they even care?

_"Open me, Alexis~!" _

_"OPEN!" _

I could hear the whales crying as they swam through the forest. My chest hurt. _No one here was really...my friend? _

_"OPEN ME!" _

Why should I continue to bother staying here...? They only liked me because of the potion. If I never drank then...

**_"OPEN ME!" _**

I felt my hand reaching towards the handle on one of the doors, but before I could twist it and open the door, and voice asked darkly,

"Are you lost?" I almost didn't hear Ace. Turning my head, I blinked and stared at the red knight confused. The whales crying echoed in my ears. "Do you want to go home?"

I was completely silent. My face was blank and my bangs hung in my eyes. I felt like I was going to cry. "Why shouldn't I?" My voice was soft and quiet. It didn't sound like me at all. "No one here really cares...It's only because of the potion I drank that anyone bothered to pay any notice. No one's really my friend."

"In that case, if I kill you, no one will care if you die?" I lifted my head to look up at Ace in confusion, but ended up letting out a short scream when he lunged and slammed me against a tree, his hands wrapped tightly around my throat. He had a smile on his face, but his eyes were dark and menacing. I was frozen with fear. "I told you before that I always wanted to know what a dying heartbeat sounds like...how many people will react if I kill off the newest foreigner? Will it be like you said? Will no one care at all?"

"G-Get off of me!" I screamed, putting my hands on his chest and trying to push him off. Ace was much _much _stronger than me. Everyone here appeared to be stronger than me. Pressure was suddenly put painfully on my throat and I gasp, clawing frantically at the hands around my throat. "G-Get-Get off!"

"I thought you were going to fight back, Alexis? I thought you said you were going to kick me. Hahaha! You're so weak!"

"Sh-Shut up!" Tears were welling up in my eyes from the pain and horror. He was going to kill me. Ace was going to kill me. His huge hands were crushing my small neck. "S-Stop it!"

"You foreigners are so fragile!" Ace chuckled, "You're close to that _rat, _aren't you? How will he feel if you die?"

"Wh-What does-What does P-Pierce have to do with anything!?" His face flashed through my mind for a split second.

He didn't really care. The potion was just making him think he did.

"You really _don't _know anything, do you?" His grip tightened and I gasped, trying frantically to escape his hold and get air into my lungs. It was hard to breathe. I felt like my windpipe was going to break. My head hurt from lack of oxygen. "Hahaha!" Suddenly he released his grip and I was sent sliding onto the ground, crawling and gasping frantically into a ball as I wrapped my hands around my throat, trying to get as much oxygen into my lungs as I could. "The potion has nothing to do with that!" He laughed loudly at me, "You're so silly, Alexis! People in Wonderland just loves foreigners!"

I stared up at him like he was a psychopath-which, for all I knew, he was. My eyes were still stinging painfully and my throat was probably going to have quite a few bruises. I still have the bruise on my neck from when Pierce bit me the other day.

"I would kill you, but Alice would be sad, and I'd have no one to go camping with! Hahaha! You're so small and defenseless~! You really are a little kid, huh?"

"I-I'm fifteen!" I choked out. I can't believe I was going to apologize to this jerk... I pushed myself up onto my feet, stumbling before leaning against a tree for a moment, growling with a teary-eyed glare, "I can't believe I was going to _apologize _to you! You-You're such a jerk!" It hurt to talk and my voice was a little raspy.

"Hm?" He looked down at me curiously with a smile. "Apologize? For what?"

"For yelling at you the other day! S-Screw you, I'm-I'm done!" I'm not going anywhere near the Heart Castle like this. Peter'll end up killing more people in anger if he sees my bruises. I sniffled and scowled, turning around and storming away from Ace, ignoring his confused calls.

Grumbling to myself I scowled. I wasn't sure how far away I had gotten from Ace, but I do know I was in the middle of the forest when I stopped walking, remembering what he said. So...I heard Nightmare wrong? I misunderstood him? People in Wonderland didn't fall in love with you because of the potion...? They just liked outsiders for some reason? So...their feelings are genuine? They're not fraud?

Damn it all, this is just making me more confused. Jerks.

I tugged my jacket closer to me and zipped it up, frowning as I held back tears._ Why were people so crazy?_ I sighed and decided to visit the next town near the Hatter's, figuring I could stop at a bookstore for a bit and read. Maybe they had a library? I looked up and scowled, seeing that it was bright and early morning.

I don't like mornings. I preferred evening and night time. Well, at least it gave me more time to stay up.


	13. A Bloody Encounter

**I'll be honest. I'm too sure on how to write Vivaldi's character. Blood...I have a better grasp on, but Vivaldi almost completely escapes me. DX I'm trying, though. I know she favors adorable things, such as stuffed animals and Alice, and likes having tea parties in the evening. That's all I really know. XD **

"Eh!? Is that Alexis we see?" I froze, whirling my head around in alarm to see Vivaldi. She was the last person I expected to see in town. I always thought she hibernated in the Castle except for the council meetings. "We have not seen you since the Assembly! When were you going to visit us?"

"Um, I-I was on my way there, actually." _At least until I bumped into Ace. And with you here, I really have no reason to go at all! And-no Peter? _Indeed, there was no Peter White...So, no shootings. _Yes!_ "H-Hi, your majesty."

"Please, call us Vivaldi. We call you Alexis."

"R-Right...Hey, nice outfit!" Vivaldi looked especially pretty today in her casual clothes. Her curly hair was down and she was wearing lighter make-up than usual, though her lips were still painted ruby red. "You look really nice today." She looked surprised at my heartfelt compliment, and her red lips spread out into a smile.

"Thank you, Alexis. We return the compliment. Though, perhaps..." I tilted my head in confusion, looking up at her with furrowed eyebrows. Her eyes glinted and a blush spread across her cheeks as she clapped her hands together, "We think you are so cute! Simply adorable!"

"H_-Hah!?" _I was alarmed when she exclaimed that and suddenly tackled me. My face flared red and I grew increasingly uncomfortable when I realized she was pressing my head against her rather large chest. "V-Vivaldi!?" This was awkward.

"We _must _go shopping together! You must tell us how you get such frivolous men to bow to your will! Men are such foolish creatures; We admire your strong will!"

"Oh, uh...thanks? I-uh, admire your beauty?"

"Oh, but you are such an adorable thing as well! We simply must see you dressed up!"

...Shit. What is up with all these people wanting to stick me in dresses? I looked up at the woman stunned, and asked, "Wh-What do you mean?"

"We _must _go shopping!"

She's joking, right? I already have more than enough clothes to last me a lifetime! I had, like, ten dresses and twenty shirts and pants each. These "Wonderlanders" are going to be the death of me. _Wait; I already used up the money Nightmare gave me, so therefore..._ "I don't have any money, so-so I can't buy anything...I_ can_ help you pick out stuff though." Vivaldi looked appalled and I flinched, realizing I said something bad. "I-I'm sorry!"

_Please don't kill me... _

"Has that foolish Incubus given you _nothing!? _A girl's ultimate desire is to look the best, and yet he gives you no money to dress up? Why, we shall have his head!"

"No! I-I mean, please-please don't kill Nightmare?" I flinched again. Damn. I had never realized just how difficult it was around her. "He-He's my friend and-and, well, I'll cry if he dies..."

Vivaldi stared down at me for a moment with her lips in a thin line. Her violet eyes were probably gazing into my soul at that moment before she smiled. "Very well. We shall not kill the Incubus. We, too, know the feeling of caring for another and thinking them irreplaceable. Now come, let us go enjoy ourselves. We shall pay for anything you wish. We _are _the Queen, after all. Anyone who goes against us shall lose their heads." She grabbed my hand and I was left to follow the adult.

For a moment, I questioned where the guards were, before sighing and figuring that Vivaldi sneaked out of the castle. "Uh, so... what are we doing, exactly?"

"We must get you some proper clothing! A girl should not wear such _dull_ rags!" I frowned, and as we walked, looked down at my outfit. I didn't see what was wrong with it. Yeah, I was covered in cat hair, but... I was wearing my gray jacket overtop a black shirt, and was wearing a pair of black jeans with my red sneakers. I didn't see what was wrong with it. It wasn't _cute _or anything, but it was clothes and that was all I really cared about. "We shall help you!"

...

"Oh, this is so cute!" Vivaldi squealed, a blush on her face as she hugged the cat toy to her chest. "Is there anything that catches _your _eye, Alexis?" She looked at me curiously, as I was looking around with a scowl on my face. I couldn't find it anywhere, not even in the pile I found it in before. I figured it would still be here since it was the same store, but... someone must have bought it already during the few time turns I was gone. Children loved stuffed animals, particularly little girls. Who was I to say no to that?

"Not...particularly. They're all cute, but..." I felt more...myself around Vivaldi than Alice. Maybe it was because Vivaldi liked cute things, like stuffed animals, and wasn't afraid to show it. However, that didn't mean I didn't try to hide my disappointment at the missing bear. "Nothing really _catches _my eye."

"Ah, that's a shame. We would have gladly bought you something."

...Yeah. As if the two dozen bags you made a random person carry as they followed us around wasn't enough. And what's worse? They're all full of clothes and hair products. She's going to be guilt tripping me into wearing them, I can already tell. I barely managed to escape back into my clothes, as she had made me wear this really frilly black-and-red dress that she found. It was cute, but it...looked strange on me. I didn't look bad, but I didn't look like me. I looked like someone else. I didn't like it. The reflection looked like some little girl was trying to play dress up and make herself look younger than she really was.

"We are still disappointed that you chose not to wear the outfit we got you..." Vivaldi continued, frowning lightly. "You have such a figure, too. We would have liked to see you dressed up some more."

"Um...Next time I go to the castle, I'll-I'll make sure to wear it, okay?" Vivaldi brightened up a little and smiled down at me.

"Of course! You are absolutely _invited _to our next tea party." I tensed a little, having a horrible image of someone dragging away my headless body from a guillotine. I did _not _want to have my head chopped. I'm sorry, but I wasn't eager to tick off the Red Queen. I quite like living, thank you.

"Uh, when-when is it?"

"It'll be head during the fifth evening time period. Don't be late."

"O-Okay. I-I got it." Please don't kill me. "Now, uh...you like stuffed animals?"

"Indeed! Aren't they just the cutest? By the way, what is your relationship with the cat and mouse?"

I wasn't too sure how to answer that. "Well, uh, Pierce is my best friend and Boris...I think he's one of my friends. I'm not-I'm not too sure. He called me his friend once though, so I think we are."

"Really? We find that really interesting. One usually favors one over the other, yet you befriend both? We are impressed."

"Oh, uh, it's-it's nothing to be impressed over..." I don't see what was so impressive about befriending two people who were practically mortal enemies-Okay, never mind. I get it now. "Ah...It's been two time periods. I should get going." I said, looking out the store window at the evening sky.

Vivaldi pouted. "So soon? But we had merely started! Ah, very well...If you must. But you _must _come to the tea party. We won't start without you. We should get going as well. Executions await like always...Good day, Alexis."

The Faceless quickly scurried over and handed me my bags, before fearfully following Vivaldi towards the Heart Castle. _Poor guy... _I thought as I shifted the bags in my arms, trying to hold them all at once. I never understood why women loved shopping so much. It was just a hassle.

However, as I was walking out of the town, I passed by a certain alleyway and stopped, turning my head. The bags nearly fell out of my arms as I stared in silent horror at the sight before me.

Pierce had a completely blank look on his face despite being covered in blood, kneeling down and twisting a knife brutally in a half-dead man's chest. The man let out a small cry, but was abruptly stopped when Pierce pulled out the knife and slit his throat, frowning with dark eyes. The color red dyed them both crimson, puddling around them like a sea of blood.

Obviously an exaggeration, but it _was _really bloody.

I wasn't even too sure what I was looking at. Pierce was kneeling next to a man he had just _killed_, and appeared completely unaffected. He twirled the knife in his hands and scowled, muttering to himself as his ear twitched in annoyance. He looked like a whole different person. Pierce then froze and shot his head up towards my direction, fear written in his eyes before he visibly relaxed seeing that it was only a silhouette. I don't think he knew it was me. I knew it was him, though.

I still couldn't get my voice to work. I could only watch as Pierce stood and held the knife in his hand and slowly started to walk this way. I was frozen. It was only when he broke out into a really fast run that I let out a scream and threw the bags I was holding at him, turning tail and running for my life. I heard him grunt, but Pierce's footsteps were so quiet that despite him chasing after me, I couldn't hear his boots clapping against the ground.

Unfortunately, before I could even get out of the alley, I ended up stepping on one of my loosened shoelaces and tripped, screaming as I fell against the cold concrete. I quickly whirled onto my back and held my hands out in front of me, screaming at Pierce to stop as I squeezed my eyes shut.

All I could hear was the clanging ear-piercing noise of metal hitting metal, and a man cursing loudly about a gravedigger. Breathing shakily I opened my eyes, feeling my heart race rapidly in my chest from fear and adrenaline. I watched in confused horror as Pierce stabbed a man straight in the chest before bringing the knife up to the man's shoulders, deepening the wound, and raised a foot and pressed it against the man's stomach, knocking him onto his back and freeing his knief. The man was crying out in pure agony at this point and Pierce quickly knelt down, pressing the tip of the blade against his throat.

"Why were you following Alexis?" I held my breath, unable to comprehend everything that was happening. It was happening way too fast. "_Answer_ me." He pressed the knife against the man's throat, drawing blood.

"Fuckin' Incubus' whore-!" He growled, coughing and causing blood to bubble up out of his mouth as Pierce sliced him in the arm. "We'll get her! We'll get that damn foreigner and there's nothin' you damn Mafia can do about it_-!_" The man's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he clamped his mouth shut, obviously sensing that Pierce was going to gut him if he screamed. Pierce slowly dragged the knife down the man's chest, over his wound, and waited for the man to explain himself. "She-She..." Pierce stabbed his leg. "She's close to the Incubus-_! _We-We want to hurt him, just please, stop-"

His screaming came to an abrupt stop as Pierce stabbed him in the forehead.

I...I've _never_-Pierce just...

Pierce scowled and turned his head to look at me, frowning as he furrowed his eyebrows. He looked like he didn't know what to do.

..._I threw shopping bags at Pierce._ Pierce was running in my direction because there was a guy behind me. That guy...was trying to _kidnap _me? Pierce saved me...and I threw shopping bags at him? And holy _shit_ Pierce just killed someone. Pierce just...goofy, silly, adorable, cute, cry-baby Pierce just killed someone...He stabbed them, interrogated them, and killed them...

And I had thought that he was going to kill me...

Well, damn_. _He really _is _Mafia...and good hell, Elliot wasn't kidding when he said Pierce often interrogated and killed people.

..._Fuck_. I hate using that word but...

Damn.

"You okay, Alexis?" I lifted my head up and found myself staring into the forest green eyes of Pierce.

He was a crybaby and a member of the Mafia. I-I need to-I need to remember...Role..._Role-Holders can't ch-choose their roles, so-so Pierce...? _Instead of comforting me, it just made it worse.

"A-Are you-Are you scared of me now?" He looked disheartened and like he was going to cry. "You-You hate me now..."

I opened and closed my mouth multiple times, just sitting there without realizing that Pierce had me sit up, his hands cupping my cheeks. "You...I...I thought..." _Shopping bags._ I blinked, stuck in a dumb stupor and unable to think properly. "I...I threw my shopping bags at you..." Pierce blinked and frowned, before wiping his bloody hand on a clean part of his jacket. He then reached up and made me close my eyes, saying,

"Keep them closed until I say open, okay? You don't need to see this." I didn't argue when I felt him move his hands away from my face, but I tensed when I felt something soft and warm press against the corner of my eyes. "No crying. I don't like seeing you sad-Chuu!"

"S-So-Sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry..." I was mumbling softly, trying to hold back the sob that wanted to rip out of my throat. Despite knowing that Pierce was covered in blood, I still wanted to cry and hug him and cling to him for comfort. I just wanted him to hold me. "Sorry..."

"Eh, no crying! No crying-Chuu! Why are you sorry? Just wait here for me, okay?"

"O-Okay-Okay...yeah. Okay..." My voice squeaked a little and I bit my lip. I think I was scared. Not really of Pierce, or what he could do, but more of what he _did_. "I'm not going to-I'm not going to cry..." I felt a hand caress my cheek and a warm pressure on my forehead.

The warmth near me suddenly vanished as I felt Pierce pull away, and I listened intently for footsteps. I heard none, but I knew Pierce was walking about. I heard chopping-like something you hear when you're dicing up meat for dinner before it's cooked. It disturbed me a little. It took a few minutes, which in my opinion felt like forever, before I felt a finger tap my forehead lightly.

"It's okay now. You can open your eyes." I did so and blinked a couple of times, tears blurring my vision. I blinked them away, managing not to shed any, and saw Pierce staring worriedly at me. I stared at the blood on his face, briefly wondering if any of the blood was his. He caught me staring and smiled, saying reasurringly, "It's okay. It's not mine." For some reason, hearing that made me relax a little. I was still tense however. "Ah..." His nose scrunched up a little. "You still smell of cats."

"Y-Yeah...S-Sorry, I-I know you hate them. B-But Gray-Gray keeps finding them and-and bringing them and..." And...what? "I-I needed to buy my allergy medicine." I'm amazed that I was still able to talk. Pierce tilted his head, staring at me with a cute confused look on his face.

"Allergy medicine? Are you allergic to cats?" All I could do was nod. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tilted my head, looking for the dead man. The only thing there was to show any evidence of there ever being a dead body was the blood.

"Wh-Where'd it go?" Pierce blinked at my question. "Where'd he go? He-He was right there-"

"Oh! Don't worry about that! I took care of them, see? See? I'm a very clean mouse! I'm nothing like a rat!" I didn't know what to say to that. I then noticed something out of the corner of my eye, and saw two very _very _bloody suitcases. He noticed. "Hm? Ah, I have to bury them later. Then we can go to my house and get you all cleaned up-Chuu!"

"How..." He stared down at me curiously. His eyes then widened in surprise when I reached up and grabbed the lapels of his red-stained jacket, pulling his face down close to mine so I could glare at him, "How are you so calm about this!? Get _me _cleaned up? _I'm _not the one that's covered in _blood!_ Were you-Were you hurt anywhere? Did that guy get you? What-What about the other guy? Th-The one before I came? How-How did you even know it was me? I-It was dark! Why-Why were you even killing him in the first place?"

"Why? Because Blood told me too." My glare faltered, and I knew was going to break soon. My grip on his jacket loosened a little.

"Wha-What about-What about the other guy then?" S-Something about Nightmare... and kidnapping me. Did...Did he...?

"He was going to hurt you." He said calmly and then said with a worried frown, "It's not safe for you to go to the town alone now, okay? He said people are after you. We need to go now, Alexis. Can you stand?" I blinked. I hadn't thought of that. _Could _I stand?

Pierce pulled away from me and held out a hand. I stared at it for a moment, looking at the blood on it, before ignoring my disgust and disturbance and grabbing it. I let out a shout when he suddenly yanked his arm up, pulling me onto my feet and sending me stumbling towards him. He wrapped his arms around me in response before grabbing my shoulders, holding me steady. My mind went blank for a moment before I pulled away, holding my arms out to catch my balance. I waited for a few moments before saying,

"Y-yeah, I-I can walk." He frowned in response but nodded, acknowledging what I said. "O-Okay...Wait, where are my bags?" I spun around, looking for them frantically. I don't want Vivaldi to kill me all because I don't show up in one of her dresses that she bought me. I found the multiple bags spread around the ground, some of the dresses having fallen out of them and soaking up blood. I flinched. Good thing they clean with the time change... I groaned and flinched when the dress collapsed against my hand, covering my hand with red. I quickly shoved it into one of the bags and scowled, feeling chills go down my spine as I picked up the rest of the bloody articles of clothing and stuffing them into the other bags. There were four bags in total for me, two-to-three dresses in each bag.

If Vivaldi and Alice ever paired up and went shopping...God knows how much they'd buy together.

Pierce scrunched his nose up for a second, obviously not liking the fact that I was now covered in blood, before gaining a serious face. Picking up the two bloody suitcases, which I'm certain the dead bodies were in and dismembered, Pierce looked at me and said, "This way. Be careful, okay? His friends might be somewhere nearby, so stay close."

Not wanting to argue with this side of Pierce, I quickly stumbled towards him and grabbed his jacket sleeve, causing him to stare at me in surprise before smiling. I liked that smile. It was better than the serious look he held before... I made sure not to bump into his jacket as he led us into the woods. When we were a good ways into the woods and away from the town, he told me to sit down and wait by a tree. I didn't argue as I sat down, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs. I watched him dig a hole in the ground for a while before looking at my dirty hands.

The blood had dried already... It smelled horrible. I didn't like it. How has Pierce put up with this? With him being a mouse, his nose must be really sensitive...

It took about ten minutes before Pierce was finished. I refused to watch him dump the insides of the suitcases into the hole he dug. I just closed my eyes and waited for him to tell me he was done. I opened my eyes when I felt hands get placed on my knees. Slowly, I lifted my head and stared up at Pierce, seeing him frowning at me.

I froze when he suddenly leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine, before pulling back and placing a kiss against the tip of my nose. "P-P-Pierce?" His ear twitched again and my left eye closed when he reached up and gently kissed the edge. Pierce looked sad as he cupped my face with his hands, saying,

"Please don't cry, Alexis...You're cuter when you're smiling." Oh, yeah, rub in the fact that I'm ugly when crying. I'm sorry that I'm not you or any of the other role-holder...

W-Wait, _what?_ He-He said...what?

"Stop crying...Please stop crying." My shoulders tensed when his arms suddenly wrapped around me, pulling me into his chest. "I...I don't know what to do when you're crying either..."

My bottom lip trembled as I reached up and gripped his jacket sleeves. I felt him kiss my forehead. P-Pierce...why...W-Why were... I-I was scared...

I didn't realize it until now, but when Pierce suddenly charged that man with such a small knife, I... "I-I thought...you-you were gonna..." He rubbed his hand on my back comfortingly, and it didn't take long for me to completely start crying. "I thought he was gonna hurt you!" Pierce tensed as I said that, surprised. I raised my fist up and bopped him upside the head, causing him to flinch and pull back in confusion. He looked at me in shock when I started to glare at him. "What-What the hell!? You-You can't just _charge _someone like that! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, _stupid_ Pierce!" With each "stupid" I said, I punched him in the chest. He appeared unaffected by my acts of violence, but he still looked down at me stunned. "You're so _stupid! _Stupid, idiotic, retarded, stupid, stupid Pierce! You're so stupid! Don't-Don't go trying to get yourself hurt! You're so STUPID!"

...I wasn't feeling creative. Sue me.

Before I could hit him again, he grabbed my hands and wrapped his fingers around mine. I struggled, still trying to hit him despite the tears streaming down my face. "No! Let go, let go, let go! I'm not done beating you up yet! You're a freaking idiot! Stupid Pierce! You're so stupid! Why did you do that!? Just how dumb are you!?"

"Eh? S-Stupid?" He looked alarmed at my words. "I-I was protecting you!" I opened my mouth to retort, but found I couldn't come up with a good enough insult, or even a decent reply. All I could really think of was _Stupid Pierce. Idiot Pierce. Stupid, idiot Pierce! _

"S-Still! You-You..." I frowned and bit my lip, before turning my head and scowling. I think my face heated up, but since I was crying it was red to begin with. "I...I was wor-I was worried about you, okay? I..." He tilted his head, waiting for me to finish. His ear kept twitching. "I was...scared." Ugh. This was humiliating. I hope stupid Pierce is happy now...freaking jerk.

Stupid...

"You-You were?" He asked, before a smile spread across his face along with a light blush. I looked at him in confusion, wondering why his face was so pink. "I'm so happy-Chuu~!"

_"Hah-!?_" I was about to question him and his sanity, but he quickly lunged forward and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly before planting multiple kisses on my face. "H-Hey, P-Pierce-" I stammered, feeling my heart start to pick up the pace again, "S-Stop that-" His lips pressed against mine. "Pierce!" My jawline. "Q-Quit it!" He kissed my nose. He finally pulled away after planting one last kiss on my forehead, saying in realization,

"Ah! We still need to get you cleaned up-Chuu! There's a bath at my place that you can use!"

Before I could ask what he was doing, he pulled out a vial from his jacket and popped the cork, telling me to close my eyes and hold still. "Wh-What are you-?" I started to ask, doing as he said, before feeling the liquid get sprinkled on me. My eyes shot open, crying out in horror when Pierce suddenly started to get _bigger_. And the trees. And the leaves. And the shovel... "What the hell is happening to me-!?" I felt like breaking down into another wave of tears. I was so confused. I had no idea what was happening. "Pierce!?" I looked up and screamed, seeing a ginormous hand reach down and pick me up by my jacket hood. I screamed, kicking my legs frantically as I grabbed onto the index finger and thumb of the hand. "_HELP MEEEE! GYAH!_ S-Set me down, set me down-! I-I don't wanna die_-!_" The ground was so far below me now. I kept screaming as I started to cry again. I was terrified of heights.

Suddenly I found my feet placed against something soft, and froze. I stopped screaming and closed my mouth, looking down slowly at a peach-colored palm. Slowly, I released the fingers and felt my hood go back down into its usual place as the fingers released me. I got down on my knees, crawling over to where the fingers were and clinging onto them as I looked down.

The blood drained out of my face. We were...really _really _high up... I squeaked in horror and threw myself back onto the middle of the hand, curling into a ball and hiding my head in my arms.

"You're so cute-Chuu!" ...Why did his voice sound so much more loud? Tentatively peeking my head out, I screamed in shock at the sight of Pierce's _giant ass face staring at me with a smile. _"Wh-Why did you scream like that?" He looked like he was gonna cry. "Y-You can't get into my house if you're regular height..."

"Wh-What did you do to me!?"

He blinked at me. "I used a "shrink me" potion-Chuu. I thought you knew all about them..."

"I-I knew a _little! _I didn't know that they actually _existed _in Wonderland!" I wanted to stand up and yell at him, but I was too scared of falling and dying to do so. "I-I thought you had to drink them!?"

"Hm? You can, but then you're clothes wouldn't shrink. You'd be naked-Chuu. I didn't think you'd be happy with that." My face flared red. His ear twitched again. He had a strange look on his face, like he was thinking deeply about something... Didn't his ear twitch because he could hear my heart beat faster?

...God damn it, that's even worse. S-So, he knows that he's making me flustered whenever he goes and-and k-kisses me!?

His ear twitched again.

_D-Damn it... _I scowled and crossed my arms, sitting up on his palm. I sat criss-crossed and glared up at him childishly. "C-Can you-Can you put me down, please?"

He snapped out of what trance he was in and looked down at me startled. "Eh? B-But if I do that, you'll get lost! I-I don't want to lose you! B-besides, my nearest safe house is just a bit away!"

"H-Huh?"

"Hehe...You're so cute, Alexis! B-But now I can't kiss because you're so small...I can when we get there, though!"

...If Pierce tried to kiss me when he's this big, I think his lips would end up crushing me.

**So, what do you think?**


	14. Embarrassing Moments

"Whoa...Nice room..." It was _huge_. It was also nicely decorated. Though I _was_ rather intimidated by the big tree in the corner of the room with a giant ass wine bottle leaning against it, escorted by a giant purple-and-white bird feather. Attached to the tree were buttons, and on a hook was a giant wedding ring with a blue jewel on it. Some of the bark had peeled off the tree, and surrounding its trunk were multiple sea sheels and several more buttons. Next to the wine bottle was a giant ink pen.

In the middle of the room, or what I _assumed _to be the middle of the room, was a giant tree trunk cut down for a little stage with a green checkered rug on it. On the rug was a round black-and-red table with matching chairs, all made out of oak wood. Still attached to the tree stump were cabinets made out of the bark with drawers.

...I could go on, really, and keep explaining, but I won't. I _will_ tell you that next to his twin bed was a giant ass jar with a huge fork laying against it. All I can really say is Pierce must have took a lot of time decorating this room and cleaning it...because it was amazing. The floor was made of pink tile.

Pierce smiled at me, pleased at the compliment. "See, see? I told you I was a clean mouse!"

Oh. Apparently Pierce can shrink down to the size of a mouse at will...jerk. It would have been nice to know before he suddenly shot down to my size in the blink of an eye. He scared the crap out of me.

I looked around the room, trying to find a window so I would know when the next time change was, and frowned. How did Pierce keep track of time then? Did he have a clock with him?

"Alexis!" Pierce said suddenly, causing me to turn around to look at him. Suddenly I found myself tackled with arms wrapping around my back, kisses being placed against my face frantically. "I can finally kiss you-Chuu! We're both the same size again-Chuu!"

"H-Hey!" His ear twitched. _Damn it. _"S-Stop that! Stop it! You-You said I could take a bath! Where-Where's the bath, or shower, or-or whatever?" He pouted at me and reluctantly released his hold, saying,

"This way..." He grabbed my hand and led me over to a ladder, "It's up there! Do you want to borrow some clothes after you're done since yours are all dirty-Chuu?" B-Borrow?

Like...as-as in _his _clothes? I tensed and flinched when I saw Pierce's ears twitch. I blinked, unsure if I saw the corner of his lips tilt upwards or not. I almost said no, seeing how I had plenty of dresses to change into, but hesitated when I remembered that they were all blood-soaked. "I-I..." I bit my lip and turned my head, scowling as a blush spread across my cheeks. It's just hormones. That's all it was. There's-There's nothing like... Oh, god, this is so awkward...Who am I kidding? Yes, yes, damn it all, I like Pierce.

His ear twitched again and my scowl deepened. He was awaiting my answer patiently.

Telling my racing heart to calm down, I managed to get out, "That-That'd be nice, thanks..." I winced when my cracked. He smiled, and I had the urge to brush his hair out of his face again so I could look at his face completely. "Uh, where-where can I put these?" I gestured to the bags I was holding.

"Hm? Oh! I can take those. You can go ahead and get in the bath while I grab your clothes, okay? You can put your dirty ones on floor next to the bath. There's a few towels up there already, so don't worry-Chuu." He smiled and took the bags away from me, causing me to bite my tongue and ignore the urge to protest loudly and say that I could put them somewhere myself. He was being nice and letting me use his bath. I was his guest. It would be rude.

_"When you're a guest, you should be polite! One wrong move and you'll be kicked to the curb! Do you understand me, young lady?" _

_"Y-Yes Aunt Tammy..." Back straight, legs together, chin up... Wash your hands before and after you eat dinner, and always-**always **wear your best "lady" smile. Always have your fingers laced and hands clasped together when you sit down and cross your legs. Elbows off the table. After you take a bite of something greasy, you should always wipe your mouth off with a napkin. Use a napkin to wipe your hands off, not your clothes. _

_And most of all...do not ever, **ever **scowl. Do not complain when the one housing you or treating you like a guest goes and does something for you. It is rude and unsightly of a young lady. _

_Young ladies such as yourself **always **look their best and must say "Please" and "Thank you" when appropriate. Going against that is a woman's sin and is punishable. _

_"One must also not give themselves away until marriage." That was one of the only few concepts that I agreed with my Aunt Tammy about. To give yourself away before being committed is foolish. One will always regret it. _

_And Aunt Tammy knows, because she hates herself for it. _

Climbing the ladder and standing up, I looked surprised to see that the bath was really a huge and wide seashell with hot water pouring into from a drain pipe. Drops of water slipped out of the shell and between the floorboards, into the bark in the tree Pierce's room was made out of. It was actually pretty cool.

Awkwardly, making sure that he wouldn't see if he looked up from his spot on the ground below, I stripped myself of my clothes and undergarments and slipped into the bath slowly, almost crying at how good it felt. I soaked down all the way up to my chin, before dunking my hair and getting it and my face wet. I looked for the soap and shampoo. Finding them, I frantically scrubbed my hair and body until I felt satisfied and rinsed myself, making sure to get the marks on my neck good. It hurt, but that was why I had to be rougher with them. It wouldn't get clean if I didn't.

The cut on my cheek was healed, too, so I was happy, but the scar that was forming on my shoulder made me scowl. All the scars I have on me just make me look worse. I'm already a freckle-face, now I was getting a scarred-body as well. There were scars on my knees from all the times I tripped and fell and injured myself, and even a few on the palms of my hands and arms.

_"Scars detract a woman's value in beauty. I absolutely refuse to have you roughhousing around! Now, start walking with that book properly!" _

God, that woman was a monster. I understand how she became the way she was, but to force her opinions on me whenever Dad wasn't around...

I hugged myself and leaned farther into the bath, rubbing my arms.

Pierce exclaimed something from below and laughed, causing me to smile at the sound before hanging my head and groaning.

What have I gotten myself into? It's not like he's ever gonna like me back. Damn. Maybe-Maybe I should keep fooling myself and think that it's hormones?

..._No, that's stupid as hell. I'd just be in denial then. Ugh... _Figuring that I spent long enough in the bath, I stood up and quickly grabbed a towel, wrapping it around myself. _I hate myself...No, better yet, I hate life. So freaking stupid! Agh! I'm as stupid as idiot Pierce! _Just stupid, stupid, stupid! I dried myself quickly before grabbing the clothes Pierce were lending me. I blinked in surprise.

It was basically a replica of the shirt he usually wears underneath his jacket, and the one he wears underneath his suit when he goes to the Assembly. Huh. Ignoring the flush that spread across my face I slid it on. I quickly buttoned it up, surprised to find that it stopped just below my butt. The sleeves covered part of my hands...

_He-He's taller than I thought... _Dismissing the embarrassing thought, I pulled on my underwear and grabbed his pants, quickly sliding them on and buttoning them, slightly annoyed at how tight they were on my hips. I _hated _being a girl. I quickly folded the pants legs up a bit so that they didn't cover my feet and touch the ground. I don't think he'd be happy with me ruining his clothes. I left the first top three buttons on the shirt undone so that I didn't get suffocated. Grabbing the towel and wrapping it around my neck, I started to crawl down the ladder. I pulled the towel off of my neck and quickly gave myself a quick towel-dry on my hair, leaving it messy and sticking up in the air and to my face. I brushed some of the tangles out with my fingers as I called out,

"Uh, Pierce? I'm-I'm done. You can go take a bath too now, if you want." I blinked when I saw that he had taken off his hat and jacket. We were practically matching at this point in clothing.

"Hm?" He said, turning his head with a smile on his face. He froze when he looked at me, and a light red spread across his face for a moment. I blinked, confused. His expression then darkened as he quickly walked over. I noticed the blood on his clothes were gone, symbolizing a time change, and his face looked slightly wet-so he must have washed that and his hands off at a sink. I tensed when he cupped my face with one hand and placed his other on my shoulder, turning my head with a frown.

"P-Pierce?" I questioned, stammering. I flinched, seeing his ear twitch again. _Is-Is it gonna do that **every **time my heart speeds up? _"What-What are you doing-?"

"Who did this to you?"

"Hah?"

His voice was deeper than what he usually sounded like. "Who _hurt _you?" I was confused for a moment until I realized he was staring at the bruises on my neck. "Did one of that man's friends' try and grab you?"

"Uh, no-no, that-that wasn't...That guy was the first to do that..." I still didn't completely understand what it was about. It involved Nightmare, I knew that much, but _why _it involved him confused me... I had a feeling it involved him being "scary" though, and a personal grudge. Nightmare said that people had things against role-holder being role-holders, and some even had personal grudges.

Pierce tilted my head and looked me in the eyes, causing me to freeze. That... it was the same look as before. Dark. Cold. Demanding. Almost animalistic. I still couldn't believe this was Pierce. "Alexis..."

I swallowed and diverted my gaze, having the intense urge to reach up and scratch the side of my neck. "I-I may have..." I didn't want to say it. I think he and Ace had grudges against each other. I wasn't sure, though. "...possibly, kinda, not really, _maybe,_ just _might_ have ran into Ace in...the.._forest_?" My voice squeaked and I flinched, seeing his eyes widen before narrowing considerably. "P-Pierce?" I let out a small scream when Pierce scooped me up, suddenly carrying me towards his bed. My eyes widened in shock, "P-Pierce!?" Sometimes, I questioned how strong he really was, because I was actually rather heavy. I weighed about 134 pounds. "What-What are you _doing-!_" I squeaked and screamed when he dropped me on the bed.

I quickly scrambled to sit up, but found my back up against the red headboard of his bed, Pierce hovering over me with a deep frown on his face. I swallowed, going completely still when I felt him trail a couple of his fingers down my neck on the bruises. "Where else did he hurt you?"

Where...Where _else? _He didn't really hurt me anywhere else... "He...He didn't hurt me anywhere else, though. All he did was-all he did was choke me..." Why was Pierce acting so different? He seemed like he was mad... No. No way. I refuse to believe it. Why would he be mad at Ace for hurting me? He's my friend, yeah, but he shouldn't care _that _much...right?

"That's not what I meant," Pierce muttered, before suddenly leaning down and placing a kiss on one of the bruises. My shoulders started to scrunch up, but Pierce quickly grabbed them and forced me to relax, continuing to place kisses along the hand-shaped bruises on my neck. I squeezed my eyes shut, yelling in my head for my heart to calm down. I could feel something warm spread throughout my body as he bit down gently on my neck, sucking on the skin. I ground my teeth together, trying to ignore the sound trapped in the back of my throat. "Tell me...what he _said _to you?"

"He-He didn't say anything-_Ah!_" An embarrassing sound escaped my mouth and Pierce's ears twitched at the sound. "St-Stop that! P-Pierce-" He cast a small glance at me and I saw that his eyes had glazed over. Was he...even in _control_? Was he one of those people who seem to black out and not realize what they were doing until snapped out of it? _Ah_-Ow...It hurts, but it feels so good... "Ow! That one hurt, Pierce! S-Stop it!" Feeling another moan building its way up out of my throat, I clamped my mouth shut and continued trying to push Pierce off of me. The jerk was _really _strong.

"_Tell me._"

"All-All he said was that-was that he was gonna kill me, since-since I thought no one cared and-and-_!_" My face flared red at all the horrible sounds I was making at he attacked my neck. "And then he said that he was-he was gonna let me live since he wanted a camping buddy!" I felt tears pricking my eyes as I squeezed them shut, turning my head and trying to curl into a ball. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. How was one supposed to react in such a situation? I was used to happy-go-lucky Pierce, not this..._dark _Pierce...

Pierce suddenly pulled away, and I was more than relieved to see the confused look on his face-his _normal _face. Not his serious, dark face. "_Ehhh? _You thought no one cared about you? Why!? I love you; why wouldn't I care about you?"

My face flared up at his words and his left ear twitched twice. He...he was joking. Or, he didn't mean it like it sounded. Pierce tended to say things without thinking, so he probably says that to Peter and Elliot, and even Nightmare, all the time... "B-Because-Because the potion I drank makes all of Wonderlands people," Inhabitants. "fall in love with me or-or whatever, so therefore, I thought-I thought the feelings weren't genuine! Then-Then Ace went and said that it wasn't the potion, the potion just kept me here! It-It was just that Wonderland loves outsiders and stuff and...Pierce?" I grew alarmed, seeing the tears welling up in his eyes.

_This _was the Pierce I knew...and god damn it, he started the waterworks again! "Hey, hey, why-why are you crying!?" His bottom lip trembled for a moment before he tackled me, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck as he cried out.

"Why would you think that!? My feelings for you are real! I do love you, I do, I do! S-See!?" He pulled away from my frozen form and quickly pressed his lips against mine, letting them linger for a few moments before pulling away. "I-I "Chuu"d you! I really, really love you, so-so my feelings aren't fake! Chuu!" He kissed me all over my face as if to prove that he did "love" me. I squeezed my eyes shut during the whole ordeal, forcing myself to think what I always did when he managed to steal one.

_N-Not-Not-NOT MY FIRST KISS, DAMN IT! R-I REFUSE! _

But I won't lie and say I didn't like it. DAMN IT ALL PIERCE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY MIND!?

"Say-Say something! I love you, I love you, I love you! Why-Why aren't you saying anything, Alexis!?" Tears were falling down his face. I froze at the sight. He even sniffled. N-No...don't...don't give me that face... Don't make me feel so...

"I-I'm so sorry!" I lunged and wrapped my arms around his neck, "Just-Just stop crying already, okay!? I-I'm sorry! I-I apologized, so-so you can't cry now! So-So, yeah! Stop-Stop the waterworks already!" Damn. I was still bad at comforting people. I feel like I'm threatening him.

"B-But you don't-You don't believe me when I say I love you!" _ACK! _He's looking at me with _that _face.

I pulled away with wide eyes, alarmed. What the hell was I supposed to do!? I-I hugged him! Hugs are supposed to make people feel better! I don't-I don't understand any of this! _WAAAAAAAH!_ WHAT DO I DO!? NIGHTMARE, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!? DEREK!

_-pressed his lips against mine, before pulling back and placing a kiss against the tip of my nose- _

My face flared red at the thought, and honestly I hated to admit it, but I think that was the only way I'd get him to stop crying.

"Do-Do you hate me!? Is-Is that why you don't believe me when I say I love-" Quickly cupping his face with my hands, ignoring the feel of his soft hair underneath my left palm, I reached up and roughly pressed my lips against his, squeezing my eyes shut. I pulled back as fast as our lips made contact and whirled around, glaring at him with an extremely red face.

"Shut up! I-I don't hate you okay!?" I quickly turned away from him right after I said that, ignoring his stunned face as I covered my mouth with my hand, glaring at a wall. My heart was pounding in my ears. _S-Still... _"I'm still not counting it..." I mumbled out loud accidentally, causing Pierce's ears to twitch as he stared at me, his lips tilted upwards slightly in a smile. "I hope you're happy..."

Arms suddenly wrapped around my shoulders and felt lips press against my neck again, "Mm! Really, really happy!" I managed not to squeak in alarm when Pierce suddenly pulled me back into his chest, practically making me sit in his lap. His ear twitched again and he grinned widely, kissing the top of my head. "You're so cute~! And you're mine, too! No one else can have you, okay? You're my "lost item" and nobody else's! Right-Chuu?"

"Y-Yeah...Right." I mumbled, totally not noticing at how his breath brushed against my neck, or how his arms wrapped around me in a protective-like manner while still being casual and comfortable. I also didn't notice at how his chin rested on my shoulder, our bodies fitting perfectly against each other as I sat on his lap and leaned against his chest.

I totally didn't think of any of that, and that's totally not the reason why my face is beet red and why Pierce's ears keep twitching at my racing heartbeat.

"C-Can you-Can you let go of me now, please?"

"Eh? Why!? Don't you find this comfy?"

"N-No..." Hell yes. Human pillow! "Not-Not really..." I tried to fight back against the small smile that wanted to form on my face when I realized that this was one of those cheesy couple positions. Butterflies fluttered about my stomach again when I thought that, and the smile was almost wiped off my face instantly when I remembered reality.

Tch. Ruining my ruin.

"Hey, Alexis...Can I bite you again?"

"H-_Haaaaah? _Wh-Why!?" I leaned forward and turned my head to look back at him, alarmed with a red face and wide eyes. "Why do you keep asking to bite me?"

"Because~! You taste so good-Chuu! You look so cute in my clothes; I just want to eat you up!"

"N-No eating me!" I cried out, struggling in his hold. I-I refused! I refused to get harassed again! "No-No more molesting!"

Pierce looked almost offended. "I'm not molesting you! I'm biting you-Chuu!"

"Wh-What's the difference!? You left a hickey last time you "bit" me!"

"B-But you tasted so good..." My face flared red again and my eyes shot forward to the movement of his ears twitching. I felt an evil grin slip onto my face as I gained an idea. "A-Alexis?"

Before he could react, I shot up and grabbed onto the tip of his ear, causing him to cry out in protest and pain. I managed to get out of his grasp and forced his head onto my lap, pinning his head down with my left hand as I fondled his left mouse ear with my dominant hand. "Yeah, how you like that, huh!? Not so fun now, is it?" He had tears in his eyes, and I felt like a complete and total jerk, but he harassed me all the time sexually-so why can't I physically harass him? I thought it was fair. "How do you like that? Yeah, feels good huh!?"

"S-Stop it, Alexis~! That hurts! I-I'm sorry!" I flinched and loosened a little, before rubbing his ears just a tad-a _tad _more gently. I'm not-I'm not being nice or going soft on him or anything! Just-Just lessening the pain, that's all... Pierce suddenly tensed, before a _purr _came out of his mouth. That was...strange. "That...feels nice..." I frowned, blinking in confusion and surprise at the sudden information. I knew mice ears were sensitive but...like _this_? Were mice like cats and dogs then? In that case... what would happen if I tugged on his ear? I did so and winced when I saw Pierce flinch. I released his ear, no longer wishing to put him through pain, and stared in shock when he grabbed my wrist just as fast I had pulled it back. "Don't...stop."

"B-But you-you flinched-"

"It doesn't hurt as much as it feels good," He explained, frowning. His ears twitched as though telling me to continue rubbing them. I scowled at him and turned my head, debating for a moment before sighing and going what he wanted. His ears were surprisingly soft... "Nnng..." For some reason, the sound he made caused my face to turn a light red. I swallowed the lump in my throat and hesitated, before just deciding to pet his head instead. "Mmm..." He pressed his head against my hand as if encouraging me to continue.

_Wh-Why does he keep making those weird sounds!? _I-I mean, it wasn't a _bad _sound, but-but it was a _weird _sound and I didn't know what to make of it.

I applied a little more pressure when I rubbed my fingers right behind one of his ears, causing him to purr loudly. I jumped a little when his head pushed into my stomach. Before I could react, he wrapped his arms around my waist and snuggled his face into my stomach, smiling and purring all at the same time. His purring sounded similar to squeaks and little clicks, but it was...actually rather cute. I liked it. His ears twitched when my heart sped up again and I scowled.

"Wh-Why do your ears keep doing that?" I demanded, rubbing the tip of his right ear with my thumb and fore-finger. "I swear...They twitch every five minutes." It was a stupid question, but I ended up blurting it out before I realized what I was doing.

"You're heart...You're heart keeps going faster," He mumbled and I held my breath with wide eyes when he suddenly pressed his lips where my stomach. Luckily I was wearing a shirt, so really all he did was kiss cloth... "It's cute-Chuu..."

"D-Don't-Don't kiss me there."

"Ehhh? Why not!?" His voice suddenly rose up in pitch, Pierce sitting up on the bed and looking at me with wide confused eyes.

I quickly diverted my gaze, refusing to look at him. "Be-Because..." It felt weird and sent a shock up my spine. My stomach was sensitive. Then again, I think my whole body was sensitive because I was extremely ticklish.

"...Because you've never been touched by a guy before?" His voice changed again. It was slightly deeper than what he usually used, but different compared to his darker persona. I turned my head to look at him alarmed, but froze when he kissed me again. I pulled my head back quickly to yell at him, but let out a squeak when we both ended up falling back onto the bed. Pierce quickly pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around me, causing me to let out another high-pitch squeak before protesting loudly. Dude, how strong was this guy!?

I tensed and stopped struggling when he planted a kiss on my nose, before doing the same on my forehead. He mumbled, "You're my "item"...Only I can touch you like this..."

"You're the only one who even _wants _to touch me like this!" I cried out, but was quickly silenced with another kiss. What's gotten into Pierce's head? "H-Hey! Quit it! I said you couldn't kiss me when you found me in the woods, remember!?" I don't know why it took me so long to remember that conversation, but now it's popping back up in my head again, so I'm mentioning it and hoping that he'll stop kissing me.

He snapped out of his trance and looked at me alarmed. "Wh-Wha? But-But I'm your friend! And a boy! So-So I'm you're boy friend, right!?"

Oh, my god, he's so innocent it's cute! Wait, no, be angry!

"I-I meant a _boyfriend_, as in dating! You know, a couple!? Only couples kiss each other!"

"...Will you date me, then?"

I gaped at him openly, his forest green orbs staring at me innocently. "N-No!" I slapped him on the chest a couple of times, totally not noticing the muscle underneath, and cried out, "I'm not dating you just so you have a reason to-to kiss me! No kissing!"

"But you didn't have a problem with it before!"

"Th-That's because I forgot about the conversation! I'm forgetful, okay!? Don't judge! I'm still mad at you for risking your life!"

"But..." Pierce looked completely confused at this point. C-Can he let me go now? It-It's weird being in the same bed with a boy. "I'm just going to be replaced, so why does it matter? My life doesn't matter. It's not valuable." He flinched when I suddenly flicked him in the forehead-which was actually rather difficult considering he was pinning me to him, and my arms were practically pushed up against his chest. "Ow!"

"Stupid! You're being stupid again, stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! I'll beat you!"

"B-But I'm telling the truth! Why-Why are you hurting me-Chuu!?"

"Because even if you get replaced, if you come back it won't be you! I don't want to lose my best friend! I'll have you know that your life is very valuable!"

"No, it's-"

"Shut up! It-It might not be valuable to you but," ARGH. More embarrassing moments, "I-I care about you, okay? If you die I'll be-I'll be sad! So-So no more risking your life!" Seeing how I couldn't turn away, I decided to just bury my face in his left shoulder.

...

"You're the one whose life is valuable."

_"Haa?" _I removed my red face from his shoulder and looked up at him confused. J-Just how long are we going to stay in this position? And-And what does he mean by that!? I went still, face blank, seeing him grow serious again. His eyes locked onto mine.

"Even if you die, you can't be replaced. You're my "lost item", Alexis. I don't want to lose you. Your life holds much more value than mine, a weak and pathetic mouse."

"You're not pathetic! And for your information, if you were weak, I'd already be out of this position by now!" He was keeping me pinned to him on the bed. Jerk. Does he not realize how awkward and embarrassing this position is!? "Also, my life is not valuable in the least. Now, if you continue down-grading yourself, I will have to pull on your ears again and make you scream in pain. Got it, stupid?"

"You're life is far more valuable than mine. You have a heart...a beat..." I froze when he repositioned himself, placing his ear against my chest. I held my breath for a moment before allowing myself to breath, trying to get myself to relax. This was...slightly uncomfortable. "That makes you special. Irreplaceable."

"So? You have a clock-big deal, buddy. That doesn't mean you're any less special. Do I have to beat that into your skull for you to stop complaining about yourself or what?"

Pierce lifted his head and frowned at me, looking like he wanted to argue.

Ah, another thing Pierce and I had in common. We're stubborn. Wow...

However, right as he opened his mouth, he seemed to crash. Like..._pass out_. With his head on my chest and his arms _still _pinning me to him.

...Well, damn. I'm screwed.

Nightmare, Gray~! I'm sorry! Gray, please take care of Amber for me~! I don't think I'll be heading back in the next few time changes because a stupid idiotic mouse is keeping me hostage!

...SAVE ME!

"Pierce...Pierce, wake up. Pierce? Pierce! PIERCE!" It wasn't working. He was _dead _asleep.

Ah...he must not have had another cup of coffee since he got back. Well, we have been talking for about an hour or two since I got out of the bath... Wait, coffee withdrawal? Oh, hell no...That must be as bad as my tea withdrawals!

Every time I stop drinking tea, even for a few minutes, I start to get really really tired. I generally end up going to bed early. I can drink half-strength black coffee in the morning, but if I don't have tea...

Basically, I end up like how Pierce is now. Sleeping. Peacefully. Only without the adorable-as-all-hell look on my face.

Stupid, stupid Pierce!


	15. Lost Items

**I'm just going to have most of Pierce's "Yandere-like-tendencies" pop out during his "animalistic" mode when his instincts start to take over. Basically when he's out of it and not completely in control. **

**I finally got my laptop back! Yay! Now I can actually have the stupid thing telling me if something was spelled wrong or not. ._. I feel like this chapter went a little fast.. **

I yawned, snuggling closer to the warm object that was cuddling me. I mumbled something and rubbed my head against the firm chest that I was using as a pillow, arms wrapped around the object's waist. Something tightened around my lower back and felt myself get pressed closer, something muttering softly in my ear. "Mmm...shut up. I dun wanna get up..." Something nibbled on my ear and I thought nothing of it, though my nose did scrunch up in confusion. The nibbling stopped, and instead something soft pressed against my forehead. Then my nose. Then it pressed against my lips. I pulled my head back and groaned, mumbling for the thing to let me sleep as I buried my face in the crook of it's neck.

I just wanted to sleep. I was really tired for some reason. I blamed it on all the shopping Vivaldi made me do. _Crazy...woman..._ I started to drift off again,but instantly woke up when a shock went down my spine, something licking and biting my neck.

Wait...pillows didn't have arms, or waists, or even a neck...

Pierce's ear twitched as he pulled away, putting his face right in front of my mine with a lazy smile. My face flared, noticing how cute that smile was. "Morning..." His grip on me tightened and I froze, realizing the compromising position we were in.

Oh, _hell _no...

"C-Can-Can you-Can you let go of me, please?" I asked, pulling my arms away as fast as I could and trying to push him off of me. "Like, _now?_"

"Mmm...Still sleepy..."

"I-If you're sleepy, then go back to sleep! D-Don't keep molesting me!"

His tired green eyes opened and I froze as his breath brushed my face. "B-But...you're so warm and yummy..." His eyes darkened a little, appearing a little more animalistic than before. I pushed harder on his shoulders, trying to get a good amount of distance between us. I squeaked in alarm when he suddenly pulled me to him again, his lips tickling my left ear. "I won't let anyone else have you..." I tensed, eyes growing wide as he bit my ear. My face flushed and I quickly squeaked, raising a hand up and slamming it against my ear, forcing him to pull away with a frown on his dark face.

"D-Do-Don't-Don't do that! N-Now, l-let go of me!"

"No..." Alarm flashed through my face when he suddenly moved-faster than I could even process-and pinned me beneath him, his hands on either side of my head with his legs on either side of mine. I held my breath and watched his ears twitch again. His tail started to swish back and forth, and his eyes appeared not his own. It...scared me a little. "If I do that, you won't be mine..."

"P-Pierce...?" I asked, confused and worried. I swallowed, feeling a twinge of fear go down my spine. "What-What are you talking about?"

He tilted his head at me, his bangs falling out of his and allowing me to see both of his eyes. The normally bright and happy green now appeared soulless and...and just _dark. _They looked possessive. "They're trying to take you from me, Alexis...I won't let them do that. I'll play with them, okay? I won't let the scary men get you..."

I inhaled sharply and removed my gaze from his, trying to figure out what to say and get out of this position. "Uh, they're not gonna give-I-I mean take me away from-from you or-or anyone else, o-okay? So-So just-just get off of me already." His eyes gave me a bad feeling. And by bad feeling, I mean "holy shit I gotta be careful" bad feeling. His eyes...his eyes were reminiscent of Gasai Yuno's from _Future Diaries. _And if there was anything I knew about animes, it was their anime stereotype names. Everyone had a "stereotype" or at least something close to it. Now Pierce...

I really hoped he wasn't what I thought he was.

Suddenly a pair of hands cupped my face and turned my head forcefully, causing my eyes to widen as Pierce slammed his lips against mine. I froze as his tongue brushed against my mouth and felt my face flare red. I tried to sit up and move back, but Pierce quickly pushed me back onto the bed and laced his fingers together with mine on my right hand, pressing it against the sheets as his other hand wormed behind my head and tangled itself in my hair. As this happened, I ended up grunting and letting out a gasp as my back pressed against the soft fabric, accidentally allowing Pierce to dart his tongue into my mouth.

I went completely still, frozen to the core at the sudden and strange "alien" development. Pierce never kissed like this. He always did quick pecks on the face and lips and hugged you. This-This wasn't-_Is this even Pierce!? _His tongue brushed against my own and prodded it, causing me to inhale sharply before using my free hand and pushing against his shoulder. Sensing my resistance, he pulled back and muttered a breathless, "I'm not-going-" I squeezed my eyes shut as he pressed his lips against mine before pressing them against my bruised neck, saying, "to let them take you...You belong to_ me_..."

"Pierce!" I said before forcing my hand out of his and grabbing his face with my hands, "Snap out of it already!" I ignored the taste of coffee in my mouth and glared, causing him to stare down at me blankly. "This-What's with you!?"

"...Hm?" ARGH! He's so stupid! I'm going to kick his ass if he doesn't explain what's going on-Wait.. Quickly reaching up and I grabbed onto his right ear and pulled, causing him to let out a pained squeal as tears welled up in his eyes and his face grew red from the tears. He released his hold on me to sit up and crawl away from me, holding onto his aching sensitive ear. "W-Why would you do that, Alexis!? Wh-Why are you being so mean all of a sudden!?"

I relaxed almost instantly, the amount of relief I was feeling making me want to cry. However, as the events that just took place replayed in my mine, I slammed a hand over my mouth as my face grew a dark cherry red, heart beating at a rapid pace. _Freaking H-Hell, what-what was that-!? _I couldn't even finish my thought, still able to taste Pierce's saliva. I don't know whether to be disgusted or extremely embarrassed and humiliated. Currently, I think I was the latter. "Wh-What was that all about!?" My voice squeaked and cracked multiple times, causing Pierce to look at me confusedly with teary eyes, his ears twitching rapidly. Stupid mouse hearing skills...

He tilted his head, frowning in confusion. "W-What do y-you mean? I-I was-I was just saying "G-Good Morning" and-and you went and pulled my ear!"

"What the hell are you talking about!?" I demanded, not noticing my language. I was still a little freaked out. The fact that he didn't remember anything scared me more, though. "You-You were practically _raping _me five minutes ago!"

"I-I would never do that to you!" Pierce protested, tears welling up in his eyes at the accusation. "Wh-Why would you say something like that!? I-I'd never go and-and hurt you like that!" Pierce then paused, rubbing his lips together as a thoughtful looked appeared on his cute face. He actually...looked more his age right then. My face flared red at the thought, but burned even more at Pierce's next words. "Why...Why do I taste chocolate?" Pierce licked his lips, utterly confused.

He-He really didn't-Oh, my god, this is utterly humiliating... Oh, god. I buried my face in my hands and groaned as I turned away from Pierce, thoughts running wild in my head.

"C-Can I just go back to the Clover Tower now?"

"Eh!? Why? D-Don't you like it here?" Oh crap. He's trying to guilt-trip me.

"I-It's not that I don't _like _it here-I-I really like it here, it's-it's homey and cool and stuff," Oh, yes, because that sentence totally made sense. "b-but I-I just want to hang out with Nightmare and Gray for a bit. They-They're my friends too, you know?" Pierce frowned at me for a moment, something flashing in his eyes, before he smiled and nodded.

"Okay! I understand-Chuu! Oh, I'll grab your bags-Chuu!" I watched him jump off the bed and run around, making himself a cup of coffee in the process, as he got all his things together. To see Pierce back to normal...was extremely comforting and relieving. He...scared me a bit when he was like that. Watching him quickly down his cup of coffee, now seemingly energetic, he ran over and held out a hand, the bags hanging on his arms. "This way, this way! We'll take one of my tunnels-Chuu! It's faster this way!" He smiled brightly at me, and I couldn't help but grin back. I hesitated before grabbing his hand, finding it much more warm than it was when he forced his hand in mine. "Don't let go, okay? You can get lost! I'll have to find you again if that happens-Chuu!"

"Heh, yeah, I guess." I laughed a little at his words. I then bit the inside of my cheek as my face flushed again, once again remembering the previous events.

How was it...that he didn't remember _anything_? Did he black out or...what? Did Pierce have a split-personality or something that I don't know about? I'm...going to have to ask Nightmare about this.

I then realized something and exclaimed, "W-Wait! My-My clothes! Sh-Shouldn't I, like, change back into them or something!?" I-I really highly doubted that he wanted me to keep wearing his clothes. He paused right as he opened the door to the tunnels, looking at me in confusion.

"Eh; why? You looks so cute, chuu~!" He suddenly lunged forward and kissed the tip of my nose, causing my eyes to squeeze shut out of reflex. When I opened them, I saw Pierce smiling at me. He turned and led me into the tunnel, commenting with a sad tone, "I wish I could just keep you here...I don't want anyone to steal you from me." I tensed at the familiar words, causing my heart to skip a beat as a chill went down my spine. His ear twitched and he turned his head to cast me a small glance, eyes darkening just a bit before returning back to normal. The door closed behind us and everything was encased in darkness.

It was impossible to see. I felt Pierce's grip tighten on my hand and found myself tugged along, turning and twisting and squeezing through cracks in walls.

"Ah, careful! This a ledge here...Mm, there you go, see! I told you I'd keep you safe!"

"R-Right..." I swallowed, fear tingling along the base of my spine and twisting uncomfortably in my stomach as I looked down, only able to see nothing but darkness. If I looked up, or right, or left, or even diagonally, it would be the same. All pitch blackness...

Once we got away from the ledge, I walked faster and grabbed Pierce's sleeve with my other hand, feeling him tense in surprise before relaxing.

"Hey, you don't have to be scared. I'm here to protect you, see? I'll keep you safe-Chuu!" His voice deepened a little before going up a pitch at the last sentence. I've determined that his slightly deeper voice is his actually voice when he's speaking normally, and that his voice is just higher when he says "Chuu" and gets really excited or really scared. Then he has the deeper voice, which is the voice he uses when he goes "dark". "We're almost there, chuu!"

I nodded, swallowing, before realizing that he couldn't see-or, he _could _and that was why he was able to navigate so well. "Can-Can you see in the dark?"

"Hm? Yep! This way, this way!" After a few moments, Pierce stopped walking and I slammed into his back. I stumbled backwards, but he quickly held me steady. There was the sound of something unlocking and the creaking of a door opening. I flinched and squinted my eyes as light blinded my vision, my eyes taking a few moments to readjust. Pierce led me into the room the light was coming from before he set the bags down on the ground next to him and pulled a vial out of his jacket.

"Didn't I already drink a shrinking potion?" I asked in confusion, not understanding what he was doing. Wouldn't I need to eat a cake or something in order to grow bigger? I flinched when he uncapped the cork and sprayed a bit on me, before pouring the rest on the bags. As I was suddenly growing back to my regular height, Pierce shot up to his normal size in a heartbeat, smiling as he watched me freak out a little before calming down. "Okay then." My voice squeaked a little, watching my fingers grow longer before stopping at their normal size. I breathed in deeply before letting out a sigh, fiddling with my fingers and making myself relax. "So not used to this..."

"You're so cute, Chuu!" He commented, grinning widely. I scowled at his words and grabbed my bags, standing up straight and trying to figure out which room we were in. I paused, my eyes widening.

"How...Dude, how the _heck _did you figure out which room I was staying in?" Pierce tilted his head at me curiously.

"I followed your scent. You smell distinctly like chocolate and strawberries-" He paused a little, a light pink coming over his cheeks as he seemed to hit a realization, "-a-and it-it led to the Clover Tower, so I-I t-took that tunnel instead of the one I was going to use originally."

"...Cool." I commented, not too sure what to make of that. I hefted the bags on my shoulders and grunted, flinching when it brushed against my wound. I ignored it however and walked over, dumping the bags onto the bed and pausing when something fell out of it. I blinked once. Twice. Three times... "Whoa!" I took a step back, alarmed. "H-How did-How did that get in there; that toy was already bought out!"

It was the bear I saw in the store when I went shopping with Alice. It had the hat and everything.

"Hey, hey, you like it?" I tensed as arms wrapped around my torso, Pierce resting his chin on my shoulder with a smile as he leaned down. "I was hiding in the store from the bad kitty when I saw you! You looked so cute hugging it so I got it for you-Chuu!"

I was stunned at his words. No one...really ever got me a gift before. I bit my lip as a smile tried to force its way onto my face, my face turning a little red. Reaching down and picking up the bear, I marveled at how soft it was before a childish grin spread across my face. It...was...so... "CUTE!" Pierce moved his head to look at me as I squealed, hugging the bear to my chest. It was so _adorable! _Wait...oh hell...he's gonna make fun of me now.

W-Wait, but-but he bought it for me right...? Th-That meant he didn't hate me and that I could keep the toy? I swallowed and turned my head, startled to see his face to close to mine. You'd think I'd be used to such closeness from Pierce by now... I think the incident freaked me out more than I wanted to admit, but...this was actually really nice of him. I leaned my head away from, pausing as I wait for his reaction, before quickly lunging forward and kissing the edge of his mouth before pulling away, my face a dark red as I turned my head and looked away from him. I felt Pierce stiffen in surprise at my sudden attack before he relaxed.

_I-Is he going to react or-or what? _What was he going to say?

"You're just so _cute! CHUU!_"

"_GYAH-!_"

The door opened and a voice commented in surprise, "Whoa. Are you already getting it on or what?" Pierce stopped attacking my face with his kisses and turned to look at Leia in surprise, frowning as he didn't recognize her. She held her hands up in defense, saying, "Relax, gravedigger. I only came to check if the girl came back or not. Lord Nightmare's been throwing a fit for three time periods straight because he was so worried and Mr. Ringmarc..." Her face tinted a light pink. She pursed her lips and said, "Well, let's just say he isn't too happy. He's been having more trouble catching Lord Nightmare than usual. I suggest you go and tell them that you're here, then again since you're finally in Lord Nightmare's vicinity he can read your thoughts and probably already knows that you are here. So..." She looked behind her and scowled, taking a few steps to the right as the door slammed open.

"ALEXIS~!"

"WHY THE HECK DO YOU PEOPLE KEEP TACKLING ME-!?" I screamed, just as Nightmare landed on top of Pierce and I. Pierce squeaked and I grunted uncomfortably as he was pressed roughly against me, hurting my chest and making it a little harder to breathe.

Nightmare quickly pulled me away from Pierce and hugged me, tears streaming comically down the left side of his face as he exclaimed, "I was so worried! I mean, I knew you were safe once you started to dream, but I didn't know where you were and Gray has been even more of a jerk to me than usual and who else am I supposed to rant to!?"

"Is-Is that all you ever need me for!?" I bit out, trying to get both heavy bodies off of me. Nightmare finally seemed to notice that he was on top of Pierce, who was on top of me, and crawled off. Pierce slid off of me next and I sat up, gasping for breathe as I placed a hand against my aching chest. I scowled. Being laid on top of like that was _not _comfortable for a girl. All I'm saying. "Just someone to rant to?"

Tears welled up in his one visible eye, "You-You know that's not what I mean! You're my friend; I was worried about you!" My eyes widened in surprise, stunned. He...was worried? A friend...was worried about me? I had the urge to smile at that, but bit the inside of my cheek to hold it back. "Hmph!" He huffed and crossed his arms childishly, lifting his chin up and glaring at a wall. "So much for caring-all you are doing is laughing at me!"

"N-No...That's not what I..." I tried to figure out a way to explain, but Nightmare quickly turned his head and grinned at me. I scowled and reached over, tackling him and hitting him repeatedly. He cried out in pain and tried to grab my fists, coughing up blood in the process. "Jerk! I hate you!"

The door slammed open again and I stopped hitting Nightmare, the man freezing and turning his head around in fear when Gray walked in, his face dark and reeking of pure evil intent. "Lord Nightmare..." He warned in a low tone, before pausing as he saw all who was in the room. "Alexis? Where have you been?" His voice raised in surprise, shock writing across his face. He then frowned deeply, asking, "And just what are you _wearing?_"

I blinked and looked down at myself, suddenly remembering I was still wearing Pierce's clothes...My face flared red and I quickly crossed my arms over my chest, realizing that since I was using them as pajamas, I wasn't wearing a bra. Nightmare hacked up blood and I scowled, glaring at him. He held his handkerchief over his mouth and looked at me apologetically. Jerk.

M-Meaning... I groaned and hung my head, before glaring at everyone and shouting at them to get out. They looked at me alarmed. "I said get out! I need to put actual clothes on! Out, out, out!" Leaving one arm crossed over my chest, I pointed with the other at the door. "OUT!" Nightmare and Pierce scrambled onto their feet and ran out of the room, Gray following in a dumb stupor as Leia followed laughing. I scowled.

Being Wonderland, the clothes I was wearing were clean, so I really _didn't _need to put new clothes on...I just needed to put on a bra. Which I did. Which felt a whole lot more comfortable. Freaking jerks...freaking-ARGH! I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE!

I huffed and scrambled over to my bed once I rebuttoned the shirt Pierce gave me to wear. He-He said he liked me wearing his clothes...right? I-I'm not doing it for him... I just think that they're comfortable, that's all. I jumped on it and laid down, stretching and yawning loudly as I collapsed against the soft green sheets. Ah...feels so good...

_Pierce's bed was comfier. _Wait, what? NO! I REFUSE! I-I am not going to agree to such an-an-A RIDICULOUS THOUGHT! (Well, that works, I guess) I groaned into my pillow, annoyed at myself. _I've been here-what; a month? There's no way I like Pierce. _However, Time flowed by different in Wonderland. It can go either really slow or really fast, or even just normal pace... Vivaldi said that gaining feelings quickly for someone here in Wonderland is no surprise; she said it happened all the time. For some reason, Vivaldi really liked to talk about boys despite her apparent disdain for them...

...Weird. Women are weird. Boys are weird. Adults are weird-_people _are weird. Yeah, that works much better.

_M-Maybe it's not so ridiculous? _I thought hopefully as I sat up, staring at the stuffed toy that was looking up at me with pleading glass eyes. _I DON'T CARE HOW CUTE YOU ARE! YOU-YOU ARE JUST TOO FLIPPING ADORABLE! _I squealed loudly in my head before tacking the bear, hugging it to my chest and giggling. I pressed a kiss to its forehead and smiled, curling up into a small ball.

Leia said that I was gone for three time periods, which meant one must have been when I first arrived at Pierce's, when he fell asleep and I soon after, and the next when we were in the tunnels. There were seven time periods left before I had go visit her Majesty. I think I'll just hang out at the tower until then.


	16. Having Tea with the Queen

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE WAS ATTACKED-!" Nightmare was cut off mid-sentence as he hacked up blood, his lungs strained from all his yelling. I flinched, realizing he must have read Pierce's mind. I know for a fact that I wasn't thinking about the attack, as I was too busy trying to figure out what happened with Pierce a while ago. I opened my eyes and grinned sheepishly, scratching the side of my neck uncomfortably. Nightmare, despite being paler than usual and weak from blood loss, pulled Pierce off of me and grabbed my shoulders, looking down at me with a deep frown. "What does he mean someone tried to attack you?"

"N-Nothing, really..." I leaned my head back and diverted my gaze, slightly perturbed by the close contact. "J-Just..I don't-I don't know, I-I found Pierce in alley doing some-some stuff and before I knew it he had gutted a guy and started questioning him!"

"Seriously? That's all you know? Not even about _why _they were trying to grab you?" He then cut himself off, turning his head to look at a frowning Pierce. His green eyes had darkened again, and he seemed to be almost death-staring at Nightmare. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I watched as Nightmare slowly released his grip on me as he tensed his shoulders, obviously disturbed by something. He straightened his back and crossed his arms, a hand to his chin. "I see... This is no surprise; in all honesty, I should have been expecting this. You're not only an outsider, but you're also friends with multiple role-holders. It's understandable as to why they would choose you as a target."

"...How the heck is it understandable that I'm a target?"

Something slipped into my hand, and I briefly registered it as Pierce's fingers wrapping around my hand. Nightmare paused, seeming not to want to say anything. "You're bait. If you get kidnapped, the role-holders that are close to you will try to save you, ignoring all rational thought." I stared in confusion as his eye looked towards Pierce for a moment before back at me. "They could be killed, and that's exactly what those people want."

Yeah...right. Like someone would actually freak the hell out at the idea of me getting kidnapped...

_-I won't let them take you from me- _

I tensed at the memory, wondering if-just for a second-Nightmare was right. If-If Pierce was really a Yandere, and if he-_No. It's not like that. I know he doesn't care about me that way. _I refused to believe something so ridiculous. I'd only end up hurting myself. It already hurt a little just thinking about it.

"So..." I wasn't sure how to phrase my next question. If I got kidnapped...would they torture me? Kill me? _Would they... _Fear trickled along my spine at the horrible thought. _Would they **rape **me? _I've seen movies like that. A girl gets kidnapped, ends up both physically and sexually abused, and then finally murdered. I crossed my arms over my chest, slipping my hand out of Pierce's. I saw him look at me from the corner of my eye, but I ignored it. I...didn't want that happen. The thought terrified me. I knew it happened in real life, but...all those poor people who actually had to experience that...

It made me want to cry. No one should have to experience something like that.

Nightmare looked disturbed at my thoughts, and offered a small smile as he reached over and placed a hand on my head, ruffling my hair gently. "It probably won't come to that, Alexis. Just remember, even if you are kidnapped, all you need to do is dream and I'll be able to find you. I'll be able to send Gray, and Pierce, after you. They're more than plenty capable."

_R-Right..._ I swallowed, grabbing the sleeves of the shirt I was wearing tightly. I actually regretted removing my hand from Pierce's now. It was more comforting than I thought it was. "W-Well, I'm-I'm heading over to Vivaldi's in-in like, three time periods, so..."

"Take Pierce with you."

"Vi-Vivaldi is scared of Pierce, though..." Tears welled up in Pierce's eyes at the memory as he looked like he was going to cry. I flinched, looking at him in alarm. "I-I-it's not like I don't want you there with me, I-I just-I just-She's scared of you and I-I don't want her to lop my head off or-" I cut myself off, realizing that I was probably just making things worse. "I'm sorry!"

Nightmare scowled, realizing I was right. Oh, god... "Fine. I'll just send a servant with you."

"B-But I wanna go with Alexis~!" Pierce whined, reaching his arms out to hug me. However, before he could do so, I reached up and quickly caught him by his shoulders, causing the tears to finally fall and steam down his face. I flinched, pained at the sight of him crying, and apologized feeling guilty.

"S-Sorry, but..." His bottom lip trembled and I froze, stilling as I held my breath. I swore I saw Nightmare snickering with his hand over his mouth out of the corner of my eye.

_"You sure know how to wrap him around your finger, Alexis." _

My eyebrow twitched and I turned to send him a look, causing him to freeze as violent thoughts ran through my head. His eye went wide as blood spurted out of his mouth.

* * *

"You look absolutely _precious_~!" Vivaldi complimented, causing me to bite my lip and hold back a scowl. I had to be extra nice around Vivaldi... "Come, sit with us and enjoy the tea!"

"Y-Yes, your Majesty."

"We told you already; call us Vivaldi! It is only right to call us by our name just like we call you by yours." She smiled at me, and I hesitantly sat down. I laced my fingers together and set them down on my lap, crossing my ankles and pressing my legs together. One wrong move with Vivaldi could end up with my head rolling on the ground. "Ah, yes...How have you been enjoying your stay in Wonderland? We hope you like it here."

"Oh, uh, y-yeah. It's-It's been good. I like it." _Mostly. _I wasn't too big on the whole "We're-replaceable-so-it-doesn't-matter-if-we-die" thing, and that every single person in this crazy place was packing a weapon of some sort. Pierce and Gray had knives, Ace had his sword, the twins had their axe/guns, Peter had _his_ gun... "The bloodshed is, uh..." How to phrase it without angering her?

"An annoyance, indeed." She cut in, nodding firmly as she took a sip of her tea. "Almost as annoying as all these foolish imbeciles doing as they please."

"Ah-Yeah..." _Smile and nod, Alexis, smile and nod._ Vivaldi clapped her hands together happily at my words and said,

"Yes, well, shall we continue? You should try the tea. It is most delicious."

"Tea usually is," I said and flinched, realizing that it slipped out. I cast a worried glance up at her before relaxing, seeing her smile warmly at me. Seeing her expectant look, I hesitantly grabbed the tea cup and stared at the dark liquid for a moment, hoping that it wasn't poisoned. _...Well, YOLO, right? _I took a small sip, before grinning as mad as a Hatter. "This is delicious! Seriously, this is one of the best teas I've ever had!"

"Ah, we see you enjoy tea as much as we?"

"Y-Yeah...I-I love tea." Her eyes brightened, and I think I may have just successfully gotten myself completely onto her good side. Now...to avoid getting _off _of her good side and onto her bad side... "So, uh, how's life?"

"As tedious as always in Wonderland..." She said and scowled, and I frowned, finding it unfitting for her pretty face. "We hardly get breaks anymore due to all the executions we must order!"

"...You can stop ordering executions?" I suggested, causing her to narrow her eyes at me. I flinched. I stammered, "I-I-I just mean, like, tone it down a bit? O-Only execute the people who are truly idiotic and deserve it-like, people who try to assassinate you, or-or people who try to take the tea from your kitchen!" I laughed nervously, seriously hoping that she wasn't going to kill me. I then stopped and sunk into my chair, flinching. I let out quiet, "I'm sorry!"

"...We normally would have your head for such a comment, but we understand how you must think. We, too, think that the executions should be stopped, but alas, if we don't punish those who deserve it how are the people going to learn?"

"...You could execute them for rape?" I suggested. "M-Maybe even...murder?"

"Everyone kills here in Wonderland," Vivaldi said, causing me to swallow and look down at my tea cup with furrowed eyebrows. "Its the way our world works, Alexis. We would love to learn about yours, however, as ours is far to dull to entertain except on beautiful evenings such as this!"

I looked up at the sky as she spoke, and watched the colors turn red and pink. I turned my head and finally took notice of the roses. "Nice garden."

"Yes! Most exquisite, yes?" I nodded, taking another sip of my tea.

"Yeah...pretty. I've never seen a rose garden before." I've seen regular flower gardens, but nothing ever worshiped to roses. I smiled, "It's nice."

"Indeed it is! The most exquisite garden in all of Wonderland, and it belongs to us, Vivaldi."

"I can tell. It looks just like you."

Vivaldi looked at me in confusion, and I blinked at her. "What do you mean?"

I furrowed my eyebrows and frowned, looking at the Queen in confusion. "You're both pretty." I figured that was obvious. Did Vivaldi not know how pretty she was? The woman's eyes widened in surprise, before a truly honest and genuine smile crossed her face. She then smirked and placed the palm of her hand on her cheek, leaning forward with a sly grin.

"We see Alexis is rather skilled with charming words. You have have managed to befriend both cat and mouse, and appear to have _such _a disgusting creature grovel at your feet. We wonder just how experienced you are with men?"

My eyes widened at her words, stunned. Did...Wait, hold on. Did Vivaldi just ask me if I _slept around_?

Anything nice I thought about Vivaldi was swept out the window. My fingers laced tighter together, my knuckles turning pure white at the anger I felt. _I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I'm not some stupid ass slut that likes to choke on nasty! _I ground my teeth together and inhaled deeply, closing my eyes as I said slowly, "No...Matter of fact, I only had one boyfriend in my life, and that was when I was little." Around ten. "Guys tend to be more horrified of me, rather than actually liking me. So, no. I am _not _"experienced" with men." It took all my willpower not yell at Vivaldi, as I had the intense urge to whack her upside the head rapidly while screaming at her for being stupid. Unfortunately, I had to be nice to avoid losing my head.

"Is that so? We are surprised," She stated, shock writing across her features. "You said such a compliment so easily, and that filthy mouse is always hanging off of you, we just assumed you knew how to manipulate such foolish men. Please, do forgive our rudeness."

"A-Ah, um, you-you're forgiven?" She smiled at me again, before suddenly suggesting with mischievous eyes,

"How about we teach you? Surely you must want to know a thing or two? How to pleasure a frivolous man when you are wed?" My face flared red, really _really _hoping she wasn't suggesting what I thought she was suggesting.

"Wh-What do you-What do you mean by "teach"?"

"We happen to be very experienced with the knowledge of pleasure." Oh, god, please stop. Whatever I did to deserve this kind of embarrassing conversation, I'm sorry. I am so, _so _sorry... "We can teach you all you wish to know. From kissing, to touches...Why, dear Alice kept rejecting our proposal. We feel sorry that she ended up with such a ridiculous Hatter."

"I...I'd rather...not..." I swallowed, and seeing her blink I panicked. I unlaced my fingers and held them up in front of me defensively, crying out, "I-I mean, it-it's not like I _wouldn't _want to, but I-I'd just, I'd rather not take-er, _place _in...such...activities?" My voice squeaked and I flinched, face flaring red and my heart practically missing a beat when I remembered the feeling of being pushed down against soft sheets, the taste of coffee and cheese practically taking over my taste buds...

_Where the hell is a wall? I-I-WHY THE HELL AM I REMEMBERING THAT!? _I REFUSE to remember that! REFUSE! If-If I remember it, I'll-I'll be awkward around Pierce, and then I'll feel bad because he doesn't remember anything-_No! I refuse to feel bad. **I'm **the **victim** here! He's the aggressor! _

...But still... the look in his eyes after I pulled on his ear...and the scary look he held-the _possessive _look-in his eyes when he was talking about the dead guy's friends...

Just remembering sent a chill down my spine. And to be honest, I couldn't tell if it was from fear, excitement, or both.

Vivaldi looked surprised, before she pouted childishly and retreated. "Very well... Has the Incubus been treating you better? We are pleased to see you are wearing the dress we had bought you."

Ah... Yeah. It was a black dress, with red hearts wrapping around the end of the sleeves and across the middle chest, with red ruffles at the skirt and sleeve hems. For some reason the shoulders were cut out, revealing some of my pale skin, and the sleeves flared out at my wrists, just barely stopping before the tip of my fingers. There was another cut out at my collarbone in the shape of a heart, and the cloth reached up around my neck like a choker, accompanied by more ruffles and a darker-shade-of-red heart at the middle. I was wearing red-laced black one-inch boots. They were slightly more challenging to walk in, but was easier than what my Aunt had given me.

_"Stop falling! Back straight, chin up! How many times have I told you? Don't you-ARGH! Put that book back on your stupid head! Don't you roll your eyes at me!"_

_I let out a small scream as I tripped over my feet, the heel on my left shoe snapping and twisting my foot as I collapsed roughly against the wooden floor, the book on my head falling and clattering. Tears pricked my eyes and I flinched, hearing Aunt Tammy's footsteps. She was gonna yell at me again... _

_"You stupid girl. You're as bad as my sister," She said, kneeling down and peeling the black two-inch heels off of my feet. "You're both so short, and yet despite that you can't even walk properly in heels?" _

_"I-I'm thirteen..." _

_"Thirteen and four-foot-eleven," She corrected, narrowing her jade-colored eyes at me. She placed the heels beside her and sighed, shaking her head. "Now just how badly does your foot hurt?" _

_"..." I didn't want to admit it. I turned my head and scowled, only to flinch and cry out in pain as I received a smack to the head. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-I-It hurts, okay!? It hurts a lot! J-Just stop being so mean to me already!" _

_"What I'm doing is going to help you in life, little brat! Even Lillian knew that!" Sadness hit me in the face at my mother's name. Everyone always spoke so highly of her, whenever she was rarely brought up, but never really **spoke **about her. No one ever really told me what she was like, other than a physical description of her eye, skin, and hair color. I always wanted to meet her, find out what she was like for myself. Tammy suddenly paused, tensing before frowning and letting out a stressed sigh. She tucked a couple strands of pale blonde hair behind her ear and said, "Listen...One day, what I'm teaching you is going to help you. You may not thank me now, but you will later on in life." _

_"J-Just-I don't want to do this! Why do I have to learn all this?" I cried, sitting up and flinching at the excruciating pain in my foot. I don't want to do this!" _

_"Yeah, well, deal with it, brat. It's going to help you one day." _

I hated to admit it, but she was right. She had a caring side to her, my Aunt did. She never really showed it though. She did what she thought was best for me...even if I disagreed with it. However, with how much I've been having to watch myself and my behavior around Vivaldi, my Aunt Tammy _may _have just saved my life with her lessons.

"Ah...yes. N-Nightmare's been good. He, uh, got me new clothes." _Well, Gray did, actually. Ugh...pink. _However, seeing as he's one of those people you don't want to make upset or see cry, I... _God damn it, I'm gonna have to wear it at least once, aren't I? _"Nothing dull." Act polite. Be on your best behavior. Do as Aunt Tammy said.

"He finally learned how to treat a young lady properly?" She sounded astonished, and the way she said it made me almost burst out laughing. I cracked a small grin, fighting off the urge to smile like an idiot.

_"Smile warmly. Like this-" Aunt Tammy's lips stretched out into a small and polite smile, which seemed to radiate kindness and warmth despite that not truly being her intention. "Do it properly and you may-**may **just get tea instead of soap." _

_So, with that thought in mind, I smiled as best as I could without goofing off. My fourteen-year-old self was more obedient than what I used to be. Expecting a slap, I was greeted instead with a stunning smile of pride and happiness. Tammy clapped her hands together, her green eyes bright and glowing. _

_"You did it! Oh, if only Lillian could see you now! You make such a lovely young lady when you smile like one! So cute." _

"So he has! And, uh," Crap. What else was I to say? Quick, think of old-fashioned language and keep going! Bring up a casual topic, "the dresses you got me are really pretty." _Oh, yes, because that was totally smooth Alexis. Very old-fashioned. _"Th-Thank you for those, by the way." _Oh, that's better! _

She smiled at me again. "Oh, it is not a problem! We would help out countless times for such an adorable friend."

Suddenly it grew dark, causing Vivaldi's smile to instantly vanish as she scowled. It was now night- A.K.A, time for me to go home. All I need to do is find John and we can head back to the Clover Tower. "Well, I got to go now, Vivaldi. I promised Nightmare and Gray that I'd be back when the time changed."

Vivaldi looked disappointed, and also looked like she wanted to protest to me leaving, but sighed instead and stood. "Very well. We look forward to seeing you again. Please, do visit us soon." She smiled down at me. I offered a small smile back, only to let out a startled squeak when she lunged forward and pulled me into her chest, hugging me tightly. "Oh, you are just so _precious_ in that outfit! You are so adorable!"

...What did she think I was, a doll? Some kind of toy?

Awkwardly I wrapped my arms around her to return the one-sided hug, which only made her hug me tighter. My face started to turn blue. "V-Vivaldi-You're-You're crushing me!" I struggled, gasping for air the moment she released me. She giggled and knelt down in front of me, smiling.

"We apologize. You were just too cute to resist."

Why the hell do people keep calling me cute!?

"I'm not cute!" Vivaldi looked surprised as why words and I flinched, realizing I said that out loud. "I-I mean, I-I don't think so-I-I mean I know so-I mean-" I froze, finding arms wrapped around me-this time more gentle, and more...

What was the word? Not motherly, I know that, but...

_Sisterly? _I wouldn't know. I've never had a sister before. That would be an interesting experience. Wait, am I actually considering Vivaldi as a possible sister figure? HELL NO. REFUSE!

"You are _very _cute, Alexis," Vivaldi told me, pulling back with a soft smile on her beautiful face. "You're as cute as our adorable Alice; just look at that button nose!" My eyes widened as she grabbed my nose, causing me to cry out protest as she lifted my head up and left-and-right.

"H-Hey!" I cried out in protest, my voice nasally. "Let go!"

Vivaldi giggled at me and released me, causing me to scowl and rub my nose. Geez, after all I did to act polite-I tensed, realizing my mistake. I slipped up. I quit being proper and formal. I looked up at Vivaldi in alarm, then surprise, and then confusion.

She...hadn't yelled "off with your head". So...does that mean I'm in the all clear? Does she not care that much for formalities?

"Well," She began as she stood, dusting off her dress. "We think you should return back to the rotten Incubus and the Lizard. Next time you come, you absolutely _must _bring the cat!"

I was confused for a moment before asking, tilting my head as I furrowed my eyebrows, "Boris?"

"Yes, yes! Come, walk with us while we escort you out!"

...Shouldn't it be the other way around? Wait... A sour look formed on my face as the sudden realization hit me. _It's because I'm a kid, isn't it? She just thinks that I'm cute because I'm short. And-And what's wrong with my nose!? _Reaching a hand up, I placed it over my nose and rubbed it, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about my face. _I-I know I'm not all that appealing to look at, but-but what's wrong with having a button nose!? I-Yeah, I have freckles, and I look like a ginger-gone-wrong, but... _I didn't think I looked _that _bad. I-I was average I guess, but I didn't think that there was anything wrong with my nose.

If I'm not being made fun and called or short, I was always getting made fun of for being born a girl and not being all that pretty. At least, that's how the girls in my school viewed me.

A short, freckle-face eye-sore who can't even dress fashionably.

_"As if anyone would love you!" _

_"Gee, thanks. You're so kind." _

_"Why you little...At least I actually **have **friends! Unlike yours who are just being "nice" to you." _

_That one stung. When someone implied that my friends were only my friends out of pity... I looked up at the girl with a blank face, looking totally bored of the conversation. "Really? If they were being nice to me, I think they would have already left me to die in a hole by now. So, really, I think you got your facts wrong. Besides, you don't even **know **my friends, so therefore you can't speak on their behalf."_

_"Che. You shouldn't even be considered a girl," She sneered, making me blink at the insult. Was she still here? "You're so scarred up you can't even wear clothes that make you look good! What, is your figure so horribly disfigured that you have to wear guy clothes in order to make yourself feel good? And that hair! Ever hear of a hairbrush?" _

_"What's wrong with my clothes?" I asked defensively, frowning at her. "And so what if I have a few scars on my legs? It-It just means that I'm not some spoiled brat who has everyone do things for them. Unlike you, I actually try to do stuff." _

_"Does that stuff include eating fifty bags of chips every day?" Her face lit up as an idea hit her, causing me to yawn. I was tired. I only got an hour of sleep last night. I didn't really want to deal with these bullies right now. "Oh! I got it. The reason why you wear such trashy clothes is because you're so overweight and you don't want people to know! Haha! Hey, everyone! Check out this little slut!" _

_I scowled as tons of people looked at me. Slut? Please, says the chick wearing booty shorts on a High School field trip to a college. Just how low was that v-neck she was wearing? It barely covered anything. Normally, I don't judge people-but when people start being jerks to me when all I do is try to be nice...Hell yes I'm gonna judge. _

"ALEXIS!"

"GAH-! L-Let go of me!" I struggled to get out of Peter's grip, Vivaldi's face growing red with anger at the White Rabbit's appearance. "Peter, get off!"

"But it's been so long, I was so worried about you being away from me and gone!"

"Go-Go hang out with Alice, then!" Peter released me and scowled, muttering,

"She and that treacherous hatter are always together. It won't be a surprise if little ones start to gather." My eyes widened. Wait, hold on, was Alice pregnant or something? Peter's red eyes were actually _red_, as if he were holding back tears. "I came along when I heard you were here, so excited to see a friend I hold dear." He looked at me with a bright smile, but he still seemed extremely hurt.

D-Don't...Don't look like that, damn it...I can't stand it when people start to cry. No...I-I am not...going to...

"Yeah, well, I-I didn't miss you that much," I muttered, hugging the stupid rabbit around the waist. He looked down at me in shock, my actions contradicting my words, before grinning. He looked better like that. I don't like seeing people sad. I scowled and quickly pulled away, ignoring him ruffling my hair. I looked up at an annoyed Vivaldi, who was glaring at Peter.

Oddly, compared to her glare the first time I came to Heart Castle, it actually seemed a bit toned down... Did Vivaldi feel pity for Peter, or was that just me imagining things? I had though she hated him. Or was it just sympathy?

"Well," I said, clearing my throat awkwardly as I scratched the side of my neck. I was suddenly grateful for the choker-like attribute it held as it covered my bruises, "I should get going. It was fun seeing you guys again. Uh...bye." I quickly whirled around and started walking away, hoping to find John at the front entrance. Somehow, I managed to avoid getting tackled by Peter or my head cut off as I made my way towards the gate entrance.

He was there, but he was soaked in blood with a knife protruding out of his stomach. I stared, horrified at the sight in front of me, feeling a scream bubbling up my throat, before I ground my teeth together and ran over, ignoring the tears welling up in my eyes. I knelt down beside him, not daring taking the knife out in case he bled out faster. "J-John? John, dude, h-hey, you-you okay? Please, tell me you're okay?" The panic in my voice was badly hid.

He coughed and blood bubbled up out of his lips, trailing down his chin as he turned his head to look at me. I froze, almost able to see a pair of pained and terrified brown eyes looking at me, tears streaming down his cheeks. I froze when he reached up and grabbed my shoulder, lifting himself up and whispering roughly, his voice strained, "They're...A-Alexis, get-get back to Lord Nightmare-" He broke out into a rough and blood cough, and I could do nothing as I watched him slowly die. What..._could _I do?

I had no medical expertise, I had no idea how to remove a knife wound and stitch it up-I had no idea how to conduct surgery in order to stop internal bleeding. By the time I got him to the town for a doctor, he'd be dead.

"They're a-after you!" Horror formed on my face as I watched him slowly fade to black, before evaporating into nothing, the only thing left but a bloody clock in my right hand. He...he was...John was...

John was dead. Someone was after me. John was dead _because _someone was after me.

Someone innocent was dead...because of _me_. Slowly standing up, the clock dropped out of my hand as I took a few steps back. Suddenly I felt even less safe than before-paranoid even. I looked behind me, to the left of me-all around me in as if someone was going to jump out and kill me as well. I swallowed, almost unable to feel the tears stream down my face, before I broke out in the fastest run I have ever ran.

I needed to get to Nightmare. Something was wrong-horribly wrong. I wanted to know who was after me...But most of all, I wanted to stay away from those who could get hurt. I was going to hide in my room and never come out. John was killed because he was with me, right? Therefore, if I stopped hanging out with people, those people would stop dying...

John didn't deserve to die.

No one needed to be put through that kind of pain.

I was going to hide and never come out. No one would ever get killed because of me then.

At least, that was what I was hoping.

**Still not too sure on Vivaldi's character. XD I remember reading in a game summary that she kept asking Alice multiple times if she could "train" her and give her "lessons", so I figured I'd go and do that here. I'm not too sure though. But, anyway, the plot thickens! DUN DUN DUNNNNNN**


	17. Trippin' Bullets

_**BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG**_

It appeared to happen in slow-motion as I fell, the heel on one of my boots snapping in half. Bullets flew through the air like rain, piercing my dress and poking holes in it, gunshots reverberating all around me as they hit the against the ground and glass windows of stores. Fear coursed through my veins like a wildfire as I crashed against the ground, horrified of what might be waiting for me if I allowed myself to get caught.

All I had wanted was to hide and never come out, to never let anyone get killed because of me again. Unfortunately, unless I come out of this alive and safe, I don't think that's going to happen. I can't let these guys catch me. If I get caught, someone might get killed in the process of saving me (according to Nightmare) and if I let people get near me, they'll die.

_**BANG BANG BANG**_

I'll live in the woods. I'll move out of Clover Tower. I-I can...go somewhere someplace where no one would ever be able to find me.

As I reached this quick and short decision, I staggered and stumbled, pushing myself up as I ran, flinching as pain flared through my right ankle. A scream ripped itself out of my throat as a bullet scratched against my shoulder wound, leaving a nasty cut as blood trailed down the skin. It didn't hit and go through me, but it just barely missed leaving a hole in me by a bit.

I ended up falling again, and found myself get grabbed roughly and pressed against someone's chest. I was about to fight back and struggle, when something cold and metallic pressed against my temple.

The man holding me cocked his gun, smirking. He leaned down and asked, "Did you really think you could escape, girl? You outsiders must be so fragile; you're scared of a little _bullet_."

Scowling, I tried to hold my tongue. Sadly, that wasn't an attribute I was used to using-I even had trouble around Vivaldi. However, there was one _big _difference between Vivaldi and this man.

Vivaldi was friendlier.

"Please, like I'm scared of that. I'm more scared of your _mom_ than you." Ah, _White Chicks_...Very racist movie, but extremely hilarious. "Did you know that your mom was so ugly, that every time she looks at the mirror it cracks?"

He wasted no time in grabbing a fistful of my hair and slamming the butt of his gun against my head, leaving me disoriented and extremely dizzy and light-headed. It didn't take long for a migraine to start to form as he threw my against the ground. I curled up into a ball and held my head with both hands, tears welling up in my eyes as I bit my lip. My eyes were squeezed shut and I refused to uncurl as the man kicked me in the side. I gasped loudly as pain wracked my rips, and as I opened my eyes, I saw black spots dancing along my vision.

I just didn't want people to get hurt... No one deserved the same fate as John.

No one...

"Alexis!"

I cried out in pain as I recieved a kick to the stomach, losing feeling in my arms and legs. I had been running for so long... Who was calling for me? I saw a blur of pink and heard enraged screaming.

"WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE-!"

_**BANG BANG BANG **_

"Kill him! Grab the girl and-!"

_**BANG BANG **_

"Get the hell away from her, damn it!"

_**BANG **_

I froze, holding my breath as I felt a pair of arms slide underneath my back and legs, lifting me up in the air. I tried to stop myself from trembling, but it was starting to become increasingly difficult.

_**BANG BANG BANG **_

_**BANG **_

_**BANG BANG BANG BANG **_

The man holding me cursed and broke out into a fast sprint, holding me close and keeping me from falling. "You faceless are gettin' sloppy!" Through my tears, I could make out pink and black...and gold. Pink hair and a golden eye...

_**BANG BANG BANG **_

Boris quickly shifted his grip on me as he jumped onto a mushroom, before launching himself in the air and pointing his gun with one hand, shooting rapidly at the faceless who were attacking. "Hold on tight! This is going to be a bit bumpy!"

My vision finally clearing, though black still surrounded bits and pieces, I could make out where we were and how far away...down...the attackers were. I went still, completely silent as fear coursed through my veins, before letting out an ear-piercing scream as I clung onto Boris for dear life, not even caring if my dress flipped and I ended up flashing someone my underwear. I was more worried about living than I was my dignity and pride.

Boris winced and complained, shooting a couple more bullets as he landed on a rooftop and started running, jumping from one roof to another, "Ow, ow, ow! Not so loud, okay!? My ears are sensitive!"

"I-I don't _care _if they're sensitive-_GYAH-!_"

_**BANG **_

_**BANG BANG BANG BANG **_

"WHERE THE HELL ARE WE GOING!?"

"Just hold on! You'll be safe in a moment!" He promised, not really reassuring me as I continued to scream. "Hold your tongue!" I didn't do as told until I saw him jump off the rooftop and fall towards the ground. If I had continued to scream when he landed on his feet on the ground, I probably would have bit my tongue off. Boris whirled around almost the exact instant we landed, pointing his gun at another dark-suited faceless.

_**BANG BANG BANG **_

"J-Just-Just get us out of here!" Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god, we're gonna die. Boris and I are gonne die... "_WAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" _

"Stop _screaming _already!"

"_I CAN'T HELP IT!_" Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, damn it, my head. Oh god...I flinched and blinked multiple times, trying to clear my vision as darkness threatened to overtake it. The dizzy feeling came back even stronger, and I think my migraine increased by tenfold-

My grip on Boris' boa and shirt tightened considerably, as I was holding back a scream. His ear twitched in response to my actions and he jumped through the broken glass doors of Papa's Cakes bakery, rushing over to the counter and jumping over it, scaring the hell out of the poor manager as Boris ran into the backroom.

_**BANG BANG **_

_**BANG BANG BANG **_

The gunshots hurt my ears and I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling Boris shift me in his hold so he could carry me with one arm before opening the back exit door. The gunshots were louder than ever, and I was more than certain that multiple innocent faceless had died. It was all my fault, too...

Suddenly the gunshots stopped ringing and...it was quiet. No screaming, no yelling or shouting, not a sound of crying or running or even of glass being shattered. It was just...quiet. It was rather comforting, but at the same time quite discomforting. "B-Boris?"

"Hm?" He asked with a smirk, before walking outside-No, wait, that wasn't right. "What happened-Ah, ya know what; just tell me later. We need to fix those wounds of yours. Jeez, Alexis, what happened to ya?" He then frowned and leaned his head down, sniffing my face. I tensed, flinching and squeezing my eyes shut. When Boris pulled away I opened them, watching in confusion as he scowled. "And you smell like mice-actually, you're _covered _in it. Almost makes me hungry." I stilled at the horrible thought of Boris cooking me and eating me alive. His ear twitched and he muttered, walking further into the room, "Relax...I'm not gonna eat ya. I was joking."

"R-Right..." Oh, god, my head... "Oof!" I grunted as I was suddenly dropped onto something soft and...slightly like leather, but not. I looked down and saw I was on a black-colored couch, decorated with a single hot pink pillow. It was then I realized I was in a bedroom. Squinting my eyes, my vision still incredibly blurry, I saw a bunch of white skulls, golden chains hanging from multiple objects-the ceiling included-another couch that was a purple-pink color with black-and-pink zebra striped pillows, and a black-and-white bed with a grinning cat face on the headboard. There, what I think at least, is a magenta colored bathtub in the bedroom, next to a weirdly shaped pink dresser-cabinet thing. "What...?" My mind wasn't completely working.

"We're in my room." Boris explained, grabbing my chin with his hands and turning my head in multiple directions. His nose twitched and I flinched when he raised a hand up to my face, brushing my bangs out of my eyes and forehead. He frowned and scowled, ears twitching in annoyance. "They got ya good. Hold still, this might sting a little." I was about to ask what he was doing, when he leaned forward and _licked _the wound on my head. It hurt, at least for a few moments, before my agonizing migraine slowly started to fade. My vision was getting less blurry too, as the darkness dancing was vanishing.

"B-Boris? What-What are you doing?" I felt my face heat up a little as I made to lean my head back and away from his tongue, but he quickly grabbed my leg arm.

"Cheshire Cat saliva heals," He explained. "Why do ya think I lick my wounds all the time?"

I deadpanned, "'Cause you're a cat. And how come your saliva heals? That just sounds ridiculous?" He raised an eyebrow at me and smirked, asking,

"So ya don't feel any pain fading away? Here, give me your shoulder. The pain in your head should be gone in just a short while, since I got rid of your wound."

"What-no-! H-Hey-!" I protested, trying to yank my arm back, but due to exhaustion I was even weaker than before. "Get-Get off of me!"

Boris ignored me and pressed his tongue against the cut on my shoulder, dragging it across the red line and onto my slowly-forming scar from Elliot's bullet. I winced.

"D-Dude, hey, stop that! That one wasn't-That one wasn't even caused by them-" I shut myself up, watching in amazement and awe as the wounds slowly started to close. The scar began to fade, and the cut was beginning to become a small pink line before vanishing into pale skin. After a few more licks, my bullet wound scar vanished as well. "Whoa..." Boris pulled back with a smirk.

"See? I told ya, my saliva heals..." He then paused, gaining a thoughtful face. "Why do ya taste like mice, though? Have ya been hanging out with Pierce lately?"

"Um, yeah, he's one of my best friends." I replied, confused as to what he was insinuating. Boris looked surprised at my words before smirking, leaning towards me again. I leaned back uncomfortably, not liking the close distance.

His ears twitched at my actions, and he asked, "You two aren't together? So Pierce won't get mad if I play with ya for a bit?"

"P-_Play?_" My face grew red quickly as I realized what he was suggesting. "H-Hell no, get off of me!" I tried to move out from under him, but he quickly grabbed my arm and grinned, pushing me back onto the couch. I tried to push him away, but he-just like everyone else- was stronger than me. Damn, this was getting rather repetitive. I need to work out or something. "Boris-!" I felt his hand pull at my choker, tugging the ribbon on the back of my neck off and slipping it off. Trying to hide the bruises before he could see, I wrapped my hands around my neck. I could feel my heart beating faster in fear, horrified of what was going to happen.

Boris easily pried my fingers off of my neck, and he let out a small sigh. "I knew it. Okay, Alexis, spill the beans. Who did this to ya?" I opened my eyes and looked up at him in confusion and shock. "Was it Dee and Dum? I know they're violent." Boris sounded a little irritated at this point. "Why didn't ya tell me someone hurt ya? I would've shot them."

I deadpanned, "I highly doubt you could kill Ace." His eye widened in surprise before he scowled.

"Damn it, of course it was him. I should've known." He then paused, looking at me with a narrowed eye, "Why did you act like I was going to hurt you?"

My eyes widened and I felt my face heat up. How-Why did-Why did I act like he was going to _hurt _me!? I-I'm sorry! Okay? I'm sorry! "Y-You said-You said "play" and-and I thought, well-uh, W-Wonderland isn't really-" Okay, damn it. I'll be honest here. I thought Boris was going to rape me or something of the sort. My mind is still a little haywire from the attack. "You-You know, _nice_ to people, so-" I continued rambling, trying to avoid telling him the truth as I tried to think of an excuse.

"..." He was silent, just watching, before a sly and amused grin spread across his face. "Ya thought I meant something different-Haha!" He laughed loudly at me and I shut up, scowling with an embarrassed red face. Now, _this _was humiliating."You're more perverted than I thought, Alexis!" He leaned forward again, trapping me on the couch as he grinned mischievously, "Do ya _want _me to do something to ya?"

I was horrified.

"NO!" As if to act on my statement, I raised a leg up and kicked him in the stomach-only to let out a howl of pain as I cradled my sprained ankle. "Ow, ow, ow, damn it-!" Tears welled up in my eyes. I had forgotten all about my foot. Boris quickly regained his balance and looked at me in alarm.

"Alexis; what happened? Did you trip while you were running?"

"Ow, ow, ow! No! I just-One of the heels snapped and broke, okay? Just-Just take me back to-" I cut myself off, remembering my decision. "Actually, just-just leave me in the woods."

"I am not going to leave ya out in the woods, Alexis. It's still night, and with those guys on the loose-"

"It's better than nothing!" I snapped, irritable. "People keep dying because of me, and if I go back to Clover Tower Nightmare and Gray aren't going to ever let me out of the tower again without multiple people with me and-and-and if-if those-if those people come with-" My voice cracked, my shoulders starting to tremble. Boris froze. "They-They'll die too..." I quickly raised my hands up to my face and wiped at my tears frantically, trying to calm myself down as I took in deep breathes. "I-I just don't want anyone else hurt, okay?"

"...What made ya think that it was because of ya that they were killed?" Boris asked after a couple of moments, sitting down on the floor in front of the couch I was sitting on. He sat cross-legged, looking up at me expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"B-because the crazy people are after _me!_" John, Nightmare, Pierce-they all said so. The one guy in the alley even mentioned that they were after me. "It's because of _me _that they're dead!"

"That's stupid." I flinched at his cold words, and blinked when I felt him cup my face, forcing me to look up. "Look at me, Alexis." I reluctantly did so, blinking a couple of times. "They didn't die because of ya. They died because some stupid faceless people had grudges, and they were going to take that grudge out on ya. They _did _take that grudge out on ya. It wasn't because of ya bein' a target that they went after ya. It was just because those stupid faceless wanted revenge."

"...How-How do you know they wanted revenge?"

Boris looked a little guilty as he sheepishly smiled. "Nightmare may have told me a thing or two about ya bein' hunted."

"...He didn't rape you in your sleep, did he?" Boris choked on thin air, and it took all I had not to burst out laughing. I could just imagine Nightmare coughing up blood at my question. Well, he would be if he was here at least.

"Wh-Where'd ya come up with that!?"

"He's an Incubus. Ya know, like a Succubus. Only male. And you happen to be wearing a skirt, so for all I know he could have mistaken you for a girl. You do have long hair." Long hair's cool. I blame my brother for that-his hair stops just at his collarbone.

"What's wrong with long hair!?"

"Nothing. My brother has long hair. I'm just saying that Nightmare may or may not be gender-confused." Okay, now I feel mean, but I've been attacked and beaten and healed all in the same time period. I think I deserve a break. I could feel a yawn coming on, and it took all I had not to pass out then and there. My eyelids kept fluttering. If I fell asleep now, Nightmare would know that I was making fun of him...he might try and hurt me in my dreams...I don't...want that to happen...

_...I'm sorry Nightmare...I was only...only..._

_...jokin'..._

"Alexis? Alexis, hey, wake up!" Boris' voice faded out as I fell forward, darkness enveloping my vision completely.


	18. Mischievous Kitty Cat

_It was probably the fiftieth time I was having this conversation, but Jack was once again asking me about Sarah-the girl he knew since Elementary and has been asking out since he figured out he liked her._

_"So I really do stand a chance?" _

_"Yep. So long as you don't make her angry." I told him and grinned, causing him to shake his head at me. "Now shut up and do your part of the poster-thingy. I want to get this done and over with." _

_Jack scowled at me and grabbed a marker, drawing a few red lines across the board. "Have you never liked anyone?" _

_I paused to think about it. I stopped what I was doing to sit cross-legged and folded my arms over my chest. "To be honest...I don't think I have, really. I mean, there are those crushes you get-which are just mere infatuations 'cause you think someone is cute, and then there's the __**like **__and __**love **__part-er, faction. Yeah, faction. I haven't really "liked" or "loved" anyone like that. I'm more than content having you and Sarah and Erin with me as my friends. All I need is you guys with me to be happy. Who needs a guy?" _

_I said that, not knowing the repercussions of loneliness that would happen in the next two years. _

_..._

_I know they didn't hate me, or even dislike me, but it hurt every time they asked me to go away so they could spend some time together alone. I sat down in the empty practice room, my knees tucked up to my chest. I felt like crying-I **was **crying. I didn't want to be alone. I wanted to be with my best friends. But if they didn't want me there, so be it. I'll let them have their time together. _

_I was the third-wheel, after all. It was strange...it didn't hurt until recently, when they finally stopped talking to me all together and only focused on each other. They were ignoring their other friends too, so I wasn't alone in this dark reality. _

_Maybe they'd prefer it if I was gone out of their lives? I wondered what they'd do if I suddenly disappeared, if I died or was kidnapped...what would they do, or what would their lives be like, if I never even existed at all? Would they care, would they miss me, or would they be happier without me even alive? Sometimes I was tempted, I would never actually do it though, to take a knife and stab myself in the chest. I didn't like sharp objects because of that reason...that curiosity. _

_What would happen if one died? Would it all be black, or would they open their eyes right after as an infant again without any memories? The thought scared me. I didn't like it. That's why I hated hurting people, but I still do it anyway... _

_I had no idea how to show affection, I had no idea how to react or respond, and I always resort to violence... _

_Why was I such a jerk? Why was I...such a bad person? _

_..._

**I wish Pierce was here...**_ Who was that? I couldn't think. I had no idea. It was a thought that just passed my mind randomly as I looked at the clock ticking away on the wall. I was in math class again, preparing for a test I did not study for. Pierce...Pierce, Pierce, Pierce, Pierce...cool name. Was that a name? Did it mean something else? _

_I tapped my pencil against my desk in annoyance, staring at my drawing with a deep frown. We were supposed to be studying, but when was I going to do that? I was going to fail the test anyway. Ah, but I need a D in this class if I don't want to get in trouble... _

**_Why couldn't it be English Class? _**

_I blinked, seeing something out of the corner of my eye and turned my head, staring out the window to see a white rabbit with red eyes staring at me. Hm, weird. That's interesting. I blinked again, and frowned in confusion when it was suddenly gone. _

_"Alexis...It's time to wake up." _

_Wake up? To what? It's not like I have anything important to be doing at this moment. Maybe I should go to sleep... the teacher wouldn't ever notice. _

_"Wonderland." _

_Wonder-what? Okay, I'm sorry, but does this look like Alice in Wonderland to you? No. Why am I hearing voices anyway? _

_"WAKE UP!" _

My eyes shot open and I sat up quickly, only to groan and grab my aching head. Ow, ow, ow, big mistake! Big mistake!

"Hey, you're awake!" I blinked and turned my head, startled to see Boris walking over with a bowl of porridge in his hands. "I figured you'd be waking up soon and would want something to eat, so I made ya somethin'."

"...You can cook?" I asked in confusion, turning around and sitting up properly. I yawned, and blinked when the bowl was set on my lap. I sniffed the food hesitantly and my face morphed into surprise. It smelt like Cream of Wheat. "Uh, th-thanks..."

"You're welcome." He said and plopped onto the seat next to me, his hands behind his head as he set his feet on the coffee table in front of us. "It's hot, so be careful. When do ya want me to take ya back to the tower?"

I didn't answer, picking up the spoon and blowing on the hot cereal.

"I'm not gonna drop ya off in the woods, Alexis. I'm also not just gonna let ya get yourself kidnapped."

I took a bite and swallowed, saying, "Then don't drop me off there. Just open a door leading to the woods and I'll walk out on my own." I flinched when I felt him flick me in the side of my head. "What?"

He stared at me, looking unimpressed as he leaned forward. I leaned my head back, alarmed at the closeness. "Are you _tryin' _to get yourself in trouble? If I let ya vanish, that rat's gonna go all around Wonderland lookin' for ya. Nightmare's gonna throw a fit at me, and Gray might just skin me alive. You're safer at the tower than ya would be in the woods."

"But no one else is!" I protested, causing his ears to twitch. He blinked at me. "If I stay at the tower, Nightmare's just gonna send another servant to go out with me when I leave, and then that person will get killed! You nearly got killed saving me, and-and if I-if I hang around anyone else then-then_ they'll_ get killed!"

"Where's your proof?"

"H-Hah?"

"Where's your proof that you'll get people killed?" I couldn't answer that. I didn't know how. Boris reached over and poked me in the forehead, causing me to close my eyes in response as his hand came close to my face. I opened them after a moment and stared at Boris, stunned. He looked dead serious, a look I've never really seen on his face before. "Exactly. Ya don't have any. If someone dies, then they die. That's of their own accord. People don't care about death here, Alexis. You and Alice are the only ones who do. Now, before ya go and give me a speech about how my life is important, think for a moment about how _your _life is important. We're putting ourselves in danger because we care about ya, and we don't want to see ya hurt. If we die in the process, oh well. We'll just get replaced."

"...You wouldn't be the same person though. You wouldn't even have the same memories."

"Maybe not, but if you find the person with our clock, I'm sure that there's just _enough _of us in there to want to protect you." I flinched when he flicked me in the forehead, Boris standing up and ordering, "Now eat your food. I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back soon. _Don't _leave this house for _any _circumstance."

I was confused. "What, why?"

"Because we're not in Clover right now. If you leave my room without me, you'd be stuck in Heart Country." So, if I left the room...I'd no longer be in Clover? The people wouldn't be able to get me, and because I wouldn't be in Clover, no one I care about would get killed- "_Don't _even _think _about it." Fine. Jerk. "It isn't your fault." I watched him open the door and leave, walking into town.

I sighed, deciding that I was just going to sleep some more once I finished eating. Then I grew confused. How the _hell _were we in Boris' room in Heart Country, when we were just in Clover a time period or two ago? (My clothes were no longer torn or bloody, so I figured that the time changed) I blinked and turned my head, looking out a window in surprise. "Are those...rollercoasters?" I placed the bowl on the coffee table and stood up, making my way over to the window slowly. "Dude! Even a Ferris Wheel?"

Now I _wanted _to go outside, but I remembered what Boris said and huffed, parking my butt back on the couch and grudgingly eating the hot cereal. I had always wanted to go to an Amusement Park. I wondered if for a moment why I ended up in Clover and not Heart, or even Diamond, but said and did nothing as I just sat there and ate my cereal. It hurt to walk anyway.

...

"I'm back!"

"Took you long enough!" I growled, my eyebrow twitching in annoyance. It felt like _hours _since he had left. There was nothing for me to do but sit on the couch and stare at the wall. "What the heck were you doing!?"

"Ah..." He paused, scratching the side of his face. "Well, I was sneaking into Heart Castle again."

"_Why _did you do that for?"

"Because it's fun. Hey, how are your bruises?" I blinked at the question, surprised.

"They're bruises," I replied, frowning. I raised a hand up to my neck, the choker hanging off my neck and resting on my chest. It was connected to the dress. "Why?" Boris stared at me for a moment before walking over, kneeling down in front of me. He then grinned, mischief flashing in his golden eye. "Wh-What?"

"You know what would make the rat mad?"

I almost responded with "Pierce is a mouse", but instead said, "What?"

"This. Don't move."

"H-Hey, what-what are you-Get off of me, Boris-_Gyah!_" I flinched and leaned my head back, tensing when he lunged forward and ran his tongue across the bruises on my neck. "Wh-What are you do-doing!?" My voice squeaked a little and went up a pitch. I tried to kick him with my left foot, or at least knee him in the stomach, but he quickly pressed a hand down on my thigh and kept me from hurting. His other hand was lifting my head, holding my chin. I squeezed my eyes shut when I felt his tongue brush against a rather ticklish spot on my neck. My shoulders scrunched up and I heard him chuckle. I tried to push him off with my hands.

"I'm almost done. Stop freakin' out on me." F-Freaking out!? _Hell yes I'm freaking out! STOP LICKING MY NECK, DAMN IT! _This was sexual harassment! After a few more moments of me struggling him and Boris being amused as his tongue molested my neck, he finally pulled away with a cat-like grin. His ear twitched, and he said, "Pierce is gonna get so upset." He laughed and sat down on the floor, his tail swishing back and forth wildly. "He's-He's gonna be so scared of you!"

"Wh-What!?" I demanded, trying frantically to get all the wet and disgusting saliva off of my neck. "Why!?" My bruises were all gone.

"B-because!" He gasped, still laughing, "You-Ya smell like cats now!"

I scowled furiously at him, unamused with his actions. The jerk! I'm gonna kick his ass and strangle him. No, better yet, I'm just going to have Nightmare give him nightmares...Oh, yes. That would be _wonderful. _I'm going to laugh as he screams and writhes in terror as dogs chase after him in his dreams, and when he thinks that Wonderland ran out of fish...

"This is gonna be great! Hey, hey, Alexis! Ya wanna pretend to be my girlfriend-Nya? Pierce'll be so _pissed!_"

"What do you mean he's gonna be mad!?" I demanded, glaring at him. I imagined his tail catching on fire. Sadly, it didn't happen. "He doesn't like me in that way! Jeez, you and Nightmare are freaking messed up in the head!"

Boris stopped laughing immediately at my words and stared at me in stunned silence. His jaw dropped a little. "You...Ya don't..."

I scrunched my nose up and scowled again, crossing my arms once I was satisfied with my cleaning. "Don't want?"

The Cheshire Cat-Human closed his mouth as his tail drooped against the ground, his ears flattening against his head. He looked like he was upset about something. "I...Wow. I can't believe I'm saying this, but...I feel sorry for Pierce." He hung his head, a stress lines forming on his face, "He must be holding back so much..." Boris sounded like he was going to cry. I could only stare at him confusion, and slight worry for his mental-state of mind.

"Um...you okay, dude?"

He sighed, pushing himself up onto his feet as he shook his head. "I...need to go...go..." He waved one of his fingers around the air, as if trying to figure out what it was he wanted to do. "I'm...goin' to do the dishes!" He blurted, seeing the empty bowl on the coffee table. "Yes! After-After that, I'll-I'll take ya back to the tower, alright?"

...

...

"...Okay." I really didn't want to go back there. Mainly for the reason that I'll get people killed, but also for the fact that I'll be getting a lecture from not only Gray, but I'll be getting a rant from Nightmare as well. Hopefully Pierce doesn't even know I'm gone.

After a few more moments of pointless thinking, Boris leaving the room in the mean time to go do dishes, I tied the choker back around my neck. I kept thinking about how I shouldn't head back to the tower, about how I didn't _belong _in Wonderland, and about why this was all happening in the first place.

If I refused Nightmare's offer and never asked the Doctor man for directions...would all this be happening? Would I have ended up somewhere else, living alone in the woods, starving? Would some random faceless have taken me in?

I know Nightmare and Peter said that I was in Wonderland so that I could have a chance at happiness, but...

Why should I have happiness, when so many other people are deprived of it?


	19. Possessive Mice

"I don't think they know about the attack," Boris said as he opened the door, leading us into the bedroom I was staying in in Clover Tower, "but they do know about ya stayin' at my place, so be careful." He then grinned, causing me to look up at him in confusion. "Also, no running away, and if that rat asks..." He leaned down and whispered, causing my face to flare red in anger, "_I was just marking territory._"

Without even thinking about it I raised my fist up and socked him in the jaw, yelling, "LIKE HELL YOU WERE, BORIS!"

"_MRROW!_" Boris cried out, and I raised my eyebrows at the cat-like sound. He rubbed his bruising jaw with tears in his eye, "What was that for!? It's just a small prank, Alexis!"

"Sexually harassing me to piss off Pierce _isn't _what I consider a prank!" I growled, storming into my room with a slight limp. One more time period change and I should be fine. "I appreciate you helping me, but stop molesting me!"

"I wasn't molesting you!" Boris protested, before his ears twitched and he looked up, watching the door to the bedroom slam open. To my surprise it was Pierce, who looked like he had just woken up out of bed-not wearing his hat or his jacket, but his yellow-and-red collar shirt and black pants. "Oh, hey Pierce." His tail twitched and he eyed the mouse like prey. However, Boris appeared to be restraining himself as stress lines formed on his face. He made himself grin as he said, "I was just droppin' Alexis off from my place, hope ya don't mind." I froze when Boris leaned down and pressed his lips against my cheek, before he stood up and waved to Pierce. Boris quickly ran out of the door before Pierce could give chase, the mouse's eyes having darkened considerably.

"Wha...WHAT THE HECK!?" I'm going to strangle that stupid cat alive! I ran over to the door he escaped out of and banged on it, alarmed when it wouldn't open and lead me to him. "JERK! YOU CHEATED! GET BACK HERE SO I CAN BEAT YOU UP!" I cried out in alarm and stumbled back, watching at the door _vanished._

"Alexis, where were you?" I turned my head to look at Pierce, confused at the sudden change in voice. It was deeper again. His eyes held the soulless look from before, appearing possessive. He tilted his head at me, and repeated his question, taking a few steps towards me. "Why are you covered in his scent?"

"I'm not covered in his scent!" I got all the saliva off, didn't I? Dude, is there some still on me? Ewww! _Totally sounding like Peter at this point, but EW! _"A-Anyway, I'm back, so hi. I'm just...going to take a nap now, so-" I pointed at my bed, trying to indirectly to tell him to get out of my room, when suddenly my feet were lifted off the ground. I screamed and grabbed onto Pierce, who was carrying me over to said bed. His hair was hiding his eyes. "P-Put-Put me-Put me down!" My voice squeaked, and I let out a gasp and a grunt when I was dropped on the bed, Pierce quickly climbing on top of me with his hands and legs on either side of me. My heart started to race. "H-Hey, what are you d-doing!?" My breath hitched in my throat and I squeezed my eyes shut when one of his hands slid against my neck, grabbing the ribbon that tied the choker together in the back and pulling on it, releasing the choker and causing it to fall and rest against my chest. His warm fingers ran down my neck, sending a shock through my spine.

"Your bruises..." He murmured, moving his hand and placing it beside my head. He looked down at me, looking seemingly angry. That was an expression I've never really saw on his face before. "What happened to them? You _reek _of cat."

Looking at Pierce's eyes somehow scared _and _excited me at the same time, and unable to look at him any longer I turned my head and diverted my gaze. "He...W-Well, he got rid of them." I went completely still, holding my breath, when he brushed his lips against my neck. His ears twitched at the pounding of my heart. "P-Pierce? Ah-! _Nnngg..._" He bit down on a spot of my neck and sucked on it, drawing out an embarrassing moan. He bit a little harder and I flinched, squirming a little in his hold. "S-Stop it!" I protested, feeling my face burn hotly.

"I don't like it," He told me, running his tongue over the bitemark he made. "I don't like you wearing his scent..." He continued to kiss my neck, biting down every now and then to leave another mark. "You're mine..." I squeezed my eyes shut and closed my mouth, trying to prevent any more horrible sounds from leaving. The weight of the bed shifted again and Pierce's hand ran down my side, causing me to gasp and arch my back before I squirmed and tried to climb out under him. Unfortunately Pierce saw through my plan a placed his hand over and back on my shoulder, whispering with glazed eyes, "I like those sounds. Don't hide them." He was out of control again. _I never did ask Nightmare about him._

My face flared red at his words and I cried out weakly in protest as he started to attack my neck again. My mouth was starting to go dry, and my whole body was practically burning up at this point. I-I don't...I swallowed and covered my face with one of my hands, feeling how hot and red it was as he nipped at my collarbone. I hated how low the neckline was on this dress-there was just a small bit of cleavage showing and it bothered me.

He caressed my cheek with his hand, running his thumb across my cheek, as he removed his lips from my neck to stare at me for a moment. He tilted his head. "You're so cute...I won't let that scary cat have you. I won't let those bad men get you. Okay?" I tensed when he removed my hands away from my eyes and pressed his lips against mine, somehow making it possessive but gentle at the same time.

Wh-Why does-Why does Pierce keep-Why does Pierce keep _doing _this? He-I don't know...He-He doesn't like me like that...right?

R-Right. It-It's just him being possessive of his "lost item". Pierce likes to hoard things, he's a mouse, so that comes with the territory, right?

"O-Okay, but-but can you-" My eyes closed on their own accord when he leaned back down and moved his lips against mine, his tongue brushing against my bottom lip. WAAAAAH! WHAT AM I DOING!? I-I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO, DAMN IT! I pulled my head back and started to tell Pierce off, but he quickly captured my mouth and slipped his tongue into it, making another noise escape my throat. Oh god, this is humiliating... "_Nnng_-P-Pierce-_Hah..._" Why-Why was it so hard to breathe all of a sudden?

My hand pushed against his chest weakly, despite my body being full of adrenaline. This wasn't...right...was it? He doesn't...l-like me like that...

The kiss continued for a few more moments before he pulled away and wrapped his arms around me, turning onto his side and pulling me into his chest. His ears twitched and his tail moved and rested on my waist on my side. "I'm not going to let them hurt you. You're not leaving my side...I'm going to keep you with me..." I felt him kiss the side of my head and my face flared. I was still rather breathless. I was too exhausted to even yell at him. "You belong to me."

"I...I don't," I tried to say, practically panting, my face completely flushed, "I-I'm not anyone's..." Before I could finish my sentence, he moved and pressed his lips against mine softly. "Get off..."

"No."

"Pierce-"

"No." My nose scrunched up and I scowled, face still red, as I reached a hand up to pull on his ear. Tears welled up in his eyes almost instantly and he released me, holding his aching ear tightly. "Ow, ow, ow! Why would you do that!? I thought you loved me-Chuu!"

"I-I don't love you!" I growled, face flaring. "And I did that because you were harassing me again!"

"I-I already told you I would never do that to you! Wh-Why do y-you k-keep saying such th-things!?" Tears slipped down his red cheeks, his green eyes looking hurt and pained. "I would never hurt you!"

_God damn it, why does he keep forgetting these things!? _I don't know if I should be angry or happy. "You say that yet you left marks on my neck! See, look! They're even bruising now!" I sat up and lifted my chin up, pointing at the red marks forming all over my neck, and the one on my collarbone. "_You _did that!"

"_Ehhh?_" He looked alarmed as he sat up straight, his eyes wide like he was a deer caught in the headlights. "I-I did?"

"Yes!" I was exasperated at this point, and had the intense urge to slap him upside the head. "Why do you think I'm yelling at you?"

"B-Because you're upset?" He squeaked, looking like he was trying to hold back tears. He looked like a kicked puppy-er, mouse that didn't know what he did wrong. D-Damn it, now I feel bad... S-Stop making me mad and guilty right after, damn it! How am I supposed to act if you keep messing with me like this!? "I-I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me!"

"I already told you I don't hate you!"

"B-But you-"

"Stop _arguing _with me already!" Pierce closed his mouth with a trembling bottom lip, looking hurt and confused. ACK! STOP THAT! Don't you _dare _make me hug you... Though I do kinda want to right now. NO~! I take that back! I don't want to hug him! "I'll punch you in the face if you keep saying that I hate you!" His eyes widened.

"S-So you...you don't..."

I scowled and crossed my arms, reaching up to tied the choker back around my neck, "No. Now, if you don't mind, I'm changing clothes and going to talk to Nightmare." Pierce continued to stare at me from his spot on my bed, causing me to yell, "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" Pierce let out a squeak and shot out of the bed, running out of the room. I scowled and made a face, before quickly changing out of my dress and into a brown sweater and black pants that stopped at above my knees. I put on a pair of boots that Alice had gotten me. Now...where to find Nightmare...and how the hell to hide the marks on my neck?

_Wait, how full is my vial? _The thought randomly crossed my mind, and I reached out onto my bed where the vial had fallen out of my pocket. It looked at least half-full at this point. A smile tugged at my lips, but I wasn't prepared for the painful ache in my chest. I wanted to go back, but did I...also want to stay in Wonderland? _No...No. No, no, no, no, no. I-I have to go back. I-I have my dad and my brother, and-and Jack, Sarah, and Erin! _

Sarah kept asking how long it was going to take for me to get home, and Derek...he wanted me to stay in Wonderland if I was happy.

_Was _I happy? I had no idea. I liked it here-when people weren't pointing guns at my head and trying to kill me-and-and Pierce was here...Nightmare and Gray were here, and so were Vivaldi and Peter and Boris... I had friends here. I didn't want to go and...

But I had friends back in my world, too. I had left them. It was only right to return to them...right?

_But what about Pierce? _NO! Damn it, I know I said I liked him, but-but I can make myself _not _like him, right? I-I can unlike him as-as _that_? He-He doesn't like me like that after all, so if I make myself _un_like him, it'll be okay!

_...Wait, my marks!_ I quickly rushed into the bathroom and peered into the mirror, pressing my fingers against the bruising flesh, wincing lightly as I applied some pressure to see how bad it was. I had at least five different marks... _Jerk. It's not fair. I have no romance experience at all, and then Pierce just goes up and does-does THIS! How am I supposed to cover this up; bandaids?  
_

I then noticed something. "Hey, my hair's longer now!" I grinned, grabbing the ends of my hair and turning to my side, looking at the mirror and reaching my hand up my back and touching the ends of my hair. Boris somehow managed to completely heal my arm, not only taking the scar away but all the pain as well. My hair stopped at my shoulderblades. No more hair-clips for me, I guess. Even my bangs were longer. So much crazy stuff was happening in Wonderland, I barely paid any notice. It would cover some of the marks, but not all of them... Is there any make-up or anything in the cabinets?

I looked frantically for stuff to cover the marks, and was growing panicked when I couldn't find anything. All there was were bandages. My eyebrow started to twitch in irritation, realizing just how annoying this was going to get. Why...didn't..we...have...any...MAKE-UP!? I COULD HAVE USED THAT FOR MY BRUISES! DAMN IT NIGHTMARE! WHY ARE YOU SUCH A GUY!?

"Oh, right..." I deadpanned, glaring at my reflection in a mirror as if it were Nightmare himself. "You are one. Che. Ridiculous."

...Maybe I could be ninja with the bandages? _Nah, that's just wasting them. _I let out a sigh, fighting back my childish urge as I left to find the Incubus and question him about Pierce's strangeness.

...

Nightmare jumped when I slammed the door open to his room, causing him to make his papers fly everywhere as he fell out of his chair and landed with a painful thud. He scrambled up onto his knees and exclaimed, "Alexis!? You and Pierce are finally done?"

I looked alarmed as my face flared with red, "Wh-What do you mean "Finally done"? What-What the heck did you think we were doing!?" I felt a little light-headed, but wasn't too sure why.

Nightmare blinked and hacked up some blood, a hand over his mouth as he pointed at my face with his other hand. I was confused and little my right hand up to his, and felt something warm brush my finger underneath my nose. I blinked, retreating my hand and looking at the red liquid. My eyes widened.

_H-Holy shit-NO! I REFUSE! _I refuse to be a pervert! I'm not that stupid anime character who gets nosebleeds every time they think something dirty! Which-Which I wasn't-I swear. I know for a fact I'm not. I-I mean, I don't have an very innocent mind due to fanfiction and _Game of Thrones_, but I-I'm not a pervert! I don't get nosebleeds!

He snickered at my thoughts and I scowled at him, plugging my nose and hanging my head back as I looked up at the ceiling. "I'm _not_. Just-Just answer my stupid question, Nightmare! What's..." Suddenly, I felt really embarrassed to be asking this. I...kinda didn't want to ask this, but I also wanted to know what was wrong. I swallowed, looking at a wall, "Why...Uh, What's wrong with-What's wrong with Pierce?" _Why can't he remember anything he does? _

"Carry me to the couch and I'll tell you," He said, holding his arms up as he sat there on the ground. I slumped my shoulders, staring at him with wide eyes in disbelief. "What?" He asked defensively and coughed, sounding like he was in pain. I flinched and quickly ran over, muttering as I tried to lift the heavy adult onto my back,

"I-I'm not doing this for you...Lazy idiot." Nightmare laughed at me and coughed lightly, turning his head as he flinched. I tried to to tumble onto the floor underneath his weight. He was actually much lighter than the average male adult-possibly because of his sickly stature. I tried to carry Derek once, and wasn't even able to take a step before I fell and hurt my foot, crushed against the floor painfully as he laid on top of me. "Agh-You're _heavy!_"

"You're so mean~! Just carry me to the couch."

"Why do-I have to-carry you!?" I gasped out, half-way to the couches as I waddled over there, losing strength quickly. Damn it... Almost...there... "Gah!" As I dropped Nightmare, I fell back onto the couch on top of him, both of us grunting. I didn't bother to get back up, exhausted. Plus, human pillows are extremely comfy. I have Derek and Pierce as proof of that, and Nightmare made a rather comfy pillow too.

"Hey! I'm not a pillow!"

"You are now," I replied, crossing my arms stubbornly, "Now tell me why Pierce keeps forgetting things!"

Nightmare pouted and sighed, before wrapping his arms around me. It was a similar gesture my brother used whenever I sat on his lap, so it didn't bother me. "He's going instinctual, Alexis. People with animal-attributes, like him, Boris, Elliot, or even Peter, can go instinctual. It always takes a strong emotion to trigger that instinct and make them black-out, do things they normally wouldn't do. Pierce...as you're aware, he thinks highly of you. You're his friend, Alexis, and he cares for you deeply because of that."

"...Is that why he attacks me?" Nightmare gained stress lines as he turned his head away from my gaze, looking like he wanted to cough up blood again.

"Er, yeah... He doesn't like you wearing other peoples' scents because that's marking you as someone else's, and he's a..._very _possessive mouse." He appeared to be remembering something unpleasant.

I knew he was possessive, or at least his dark side was, but to actually have it told to my face... _Right, I'm just Pierce's friend. All that there is. _"Oh...Okay. Wait; so he only likes me with _his _scent?" How weird was that? Kinda weird. Really weird. _Extremely _weird. Well, he's a mouse, so not...really? Ugh, I don't know anymore. I'm just...Wait, hold on, what am I doing? DAMN IT! MY PLAN TO STAY AWAY FROM PEOPLE IS FAILING ME- I froze, realizing Nightmare could still read my thoughts, and pushed his arms off of me as I quickly walked over to the door, ignoring the small pain in my foot.

"Wait, what? Alexis, what's wrong? Why do you want to stay away from everyone?"

"I have my reasons!" If I stay away-NO! NOT THINKING!

Nightmare actually stood up, saying, "Don't make me put you to sleep, Alexis-"

"I DON'T CARE! I'M NOT LISTENING! LA-LA-LA-LA-LA~!" I sang as obnoxiously loud as I could, ignoring the exhaustion that started to hit me. Wall, wall, where's a...wall?

WALL!

_BANG __BANG __BANG __BANG BA-_

"Stop hurting yourself!" Nightmare cried out alarmed, grabbing my forehead and pulling me away from the wall. "Just go to sleep..."

No! I can't! I-I might-Someone might try and grab me-and Nightmare'll get... He'll be...

"I don't...wanna..." I mumbled, darkness dancing in my vision.

"I'll be what, Alexis?" Nightmare questioned, his voice almost fading. I could barely focus on it. "Someone will grab you and I'll be...?"

"I...You'll be...killed..." I muttered, eyes slowly slipping closed despite my attempts to keep them opening. I felt myself fall and slump against Nightmare as he caught, a frown on his face before he faded to black. "Good nigh'..."

Before I slipped into unconsciousness, I felt a hand brush against my head and heard him murmur, "I'll be fine, Alexis. Just get some sleep. You won't have any nightmares this time."


	20. Promises of Protection

I groaned, not really wanting to get up. I was extremely comfy. I turned on the couch and yawned loudly, smiling softly to myself as I rested a hand on the head that was resting on my stomach. _Hmm...soft... really soft. _Without even fully realizing what I was doing, I started to pet the head that was resting on me, running my thumb across the scalp gently. _They have really soft hair... _

Wait, what? Groggily opening my eyes, I blinked at the red-and-yellow mop of hair that was underneath my hand, Pierce snoring softly with an adorable look on his face, a smile spread across his face gently. He was...really cute when he was sleeping. But why the _hell _was he resting his arms and head on my stomach!?

It was true. Pierce had his head resting on his arms, which were located on my stomach. And am I...on Nightmare's couch?

The memories of what happened hit me like whiplash and I groaned. Damn it, Nightmare! Knocking me out like that... JERK! I'm gonna kick your-Wait, hold on...

Nightmare was asleep at his desk, drool trailing down his chin. I snorted and clamped my hand over my mouth, removing it from Pierce's head. Th-That was _priceless! _If only I had a camera...and my phone was back in my room. Damn. I might have been able to use that for blackmail after carrying him like I did. I looked down at Pierce and poked his head a couple times, causing him to mumble in his sleep.

"Alexis..." My face flared red and I scowled, reaching over and grabbing his ear. He winced and tiredly opened his eyes, looking at me.

"H-Hey, wake-wake up!" Pierce sat up, removing his head from his arms, and allowed me to sit up, "What are you doing in here?"

He tilted his head at me, blinking a couple of times before smiling lazily. "I'm keeping an eye on you-Chuu! Something bad may happen."

"What makes you say that?" Nightmare didn't tell him anything, did he? Before I could continue to try and think of ways he found out about the attack, I felt him snake his arms around my waist as he sat up on his knees and laid his head down on my lap. I tensed, arms hanging awkwardly in the air. W-What-What was he doing!? "P-Pierce!?"

He was silent for a moment before mumbling with a sad frown, "...People might try and hurt you. They're on their way to hurt you because you're special."

I had the intense urge to flick him in the head and push him off of my lap, annoyed and embarrassed at how fast as my heart was racing. "Just who told you about the attack?"

Pierce froze, his ear twitching. I tensed when he raised his head and looked up at me, his soulless eyes boring into mine. "What attack?" His voice deepened-not so much to where it was "dark", but... "Who hurt you?" He lifted himself, placing his hands on the cushions and trapping me in place, leaning forward to where our noses were barely touching. My breath hitched as he locked his eyes with mine. They really were such a lovely shade of green... He narrowed his eyes, asking, "Who made you hurt your ankle?"

"Wh-What?" I asked, leaning my head back at his question. "My ankle isn't hurt."

"It was when the bad kitty brought you here."

"W-Well it's not anymore, so-"

"You _hurt _you?" He looked like he was on the verge of snapping and going instinctual-as Nightmare has so kindly put it. "Tell me."

"I-I don't _know!_" I squeaked, turning my head and refusing to look at him. "J-Just some faceless! N-Now-Now get off of me!" I tried to yell at him without waking Nightmare up. He'd wake up when Gray comes in to check up on him.

"Where all did they hurt you? Just your foot?"

I opened my mouth to tell him, but closed it, remembering what happened last time he asked me a similar question. I scowled and scrunched my nose up, turning my head defiantly. I crossed my arms, ignoring the redness of my face and the close proximity.

"Tell me. I'll protect you-Chuu, but you need to tell me who they were and where they hurt you."

"...If I tell you everything, will you stop harassing me like this?" He looked surprised for a moment and then confused.

"But I'm not harassing you. See?" He tilted his head at me. His gaze then trailed to the bruises on my neck. "I didn't choke you, did I?" I furrowed my eyebrows at his question and said,

"Uh, no...Ace did, remember? You just-You-" I couldn't say it, my face turning a beat red as my voice died in my throat, going up a pitch or two. "Y-You just...well," I turned my head and licked my lips, finding them dry for some reason. "You...bit me." I swallowed, feeling ridiculous and stupid for acting so shy. Wait, why am I feeling bad for being shy? HE FREAKING KISSED AND BIT ME!

Jerk! Your cuteness will only get you so far, and when that's done it's done! You're passing the line, Pierce!

_Since when did you ever have a line? _My mind asked me, causing me to mentally scowl at it. _The only time you hated people getting close to you is when Erin tried to hug you, and when you just get too close to a guy in general. _Yeah, well, newsflash brain-PIERCE GOES WAY TOO CLOSE!

"Did I? I don't remember that-Chuu."

I scowled at him, an image of pushing him off of me popping up into my head. However, I didn't even bother trying because I knew he was so much stronger than me. "Yeah, well, you did it, so deal with it."

"Hmm...Chuu!" I tensed when he closed the distance and pressed his lips against mine. He smiled at me and his eyes seemed to gain a bit more life in them, "I don't remember that...but how about I make myself remember?" It was difficult to come up with a response when he leaned down and started to bite my neck again, leaving even more red marks.

"H-Hey, quit it! P-Pierce-!" I closed my eyes and clamped my mouth shut, making sure no noise escaped me. Pierce, not liking that, moved and forced my mouth open with his own, smiling all the while. His lips moved against mine and, though it both scared and confused me, I tried to kiss him back-utterly lost on how I was supposed to go about it. This seemed to both amuse and please him, and after a few more moments of humiliating embarrassment I pulled away and turned my head, closing my left eye when he kissed near it. "H-Hey! I-I said to stop-"

"You kissed me back, though." He replied with a huge smile. My face turned a dark red. He chuckled and hugged me tightly, exclaiming, "You're so cute-Chuu!" He kissed my cheek and I scowled, protesting.

"I-I-I did not! You-You're hallucinating!" I clamped a hand over my mouth and tried to push him away with my other hand, pressing it against his shoulder. "J-Just go away!" I turned my head to look at Nightmare, seeing him still asleep.

_Phew...he didn't wake up. _I felt really really bad for what was happening in his room while he was sleeping.

"I'm not letting you go!" Pierce argued, hugging me close to him. "I'm going to protect you!"

"Protecting and molesting are two different things!"

"You kissed back, though!"

"No-No I didn't! I never kissed you!" Well except-NO! If I admit it, then that means it counts! I-I'm not counting any of his kisses a "kiss"! _**You** kissed **him**. _Brain, stop arguing with me! I REFUSE! _You gave in and kissed him. Proud of yourself? _Like hell I am! Stop guilt-tripping me! I-I didn't kiss him! He kissed me! I was just trying to yell at him and-and-and...yeah. That happened.

Pierce pouted at me, clearly unhappy with my rejection, before he started smiling again. His eyes brightened and he quickly leaned forward, giving me a chase kiss, as he wrapped his arms around me in a hug. "Hm...Oh well! You're mine, so there's still time. Chuu!" My eyes squeezed shut when he kissed my nose. He chuckled.

I can't believe I did that. I tried to kiss him back. Damn it. This is not a good thing. Wait, still time for what?

"Lord Nightmare-" Gray's voice cut off as he walked into the room, finding Nightmare dead-asleep at his desk while Pierce was hugging me on Nightmare's couch. Gray stared at Pierce and me for a second before focusing a glare on Nightmare, a medicine bottle in his hand as he walked over to the sleeping Incubus. "Lord Nightmare, wake up! You must finish your paperwork and take your medicine-"

Nightmare, who we all had thought to be asleep, _flew _out of his chair like the speed of light. He gravitated towards the ceiling and grabbed onto the chandelier, screaming at Gray and saying that he wouldn't take the "poison". "I refuse!"

"Lord Nightmare, please!" Gray said, looking exasperated. He then appeared to remember something and turned around, looking at me with a kind smile. "Welcome back, Alexis. I hope you do not mind if I cook dinner for tonight?"

I blinked, surprised at the question before shrugging, "Uh, go ahead." Nightmare's face was turning blue and he looked like he just ate something sour.

"NO! Alexis, what have you done?" He was in such a terror that he forgot to keep floating, sending him falling through the air as Gray jumped up to grab him. Wait...Gray's an ex-assassin isn't he? Then Nightmare's and Gray himself are perfectly safe!

Before even realizing what I had done, I had rested my head on Pierce's shoulder while groaning. His grip on me tightened as he smiled, kissing the top of my head.

"N-No-Gah!" Nightmare cried out as Gray tried to force the medicine down Nightmare's throat. Nightmare struggled in his grip, squirming. "I-I refuse to-" He ground his teeth together, leaning his head back as the vial clacked against the bones. Gray knelt down onto the floor and kept Nightmare in his lap, holding the man to his chest with one arm around Nightmare's waist, using his other to force his jaw open so he could get the Incubus to swallow the medicine. Nightmare was pushing on Gray's chest, trying to get the older man away from him. "I'm not taking-_gyack!_" The vial popped into his mouth and the nasty red liquid slid into his throat, Nightmare choking as he swallowed the liquid. Nightmare went limp as his soul left his body, collapsing against Gray's bigger form.

Gray sighed, obviously used to this kind of thing. I feel like I was forgetting something important about Gray...the reason why Nightmare freaked out on me when I said he could cook... Wait. GAH! I haven't checked my phone for messages in ages-oh god, Sarah is gonna KILL me! Gray stood up, carrying Nightmare bridal style, and looked down at Pierce and me. "Please excuse us, but Lord Nightmare has an appointment he needs to go to."

I removed my head from Pierc's shoulder as I tilted my head, trying to get a better look at a limp Nightmare. "Dude...He's out cold..." What was _in _that medicine?

"Of course. It not only was regular medicine, but it was also a sedative. He would not come otherwise. I'll be back within two time periods. Please, don't go outside in the meantime, Alexis." He smiled at me and nodded his head, before leaving the room with a pale Nightmare.

...I pity the poor pirate.

When Gray left, Pierce wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me up, causing me to squeak as he pulled me off the couch. "Yay! This means I get you to myself!"

"H-Hey!" Quick, how to save myself?

Option A) Knee him in the stomach and run away (Dead End)

Option B) Kiss him, distract him, and run away (Good End)

Option C) Scream and hope a faceless will save you (Best End)

"_P-Put me down!_" I screamed as he lifted me up into his arms, before he sat down on a different couch and set me on his lap, his arms hugging me to his chest tightly as he kissed the side of my head.

"Hehe...You're so cute!" My face burned from the touch. J-Jerk... I scowled and turned my head to glare at Pierce, who merely smiled.

"I will beat you to a pulp." I threatened, causing him to giggle at me. My heart jumped at the sound. I-I don't _like _him. I don't like him. I don't like him. I _don't_. I only see him as a friend. _Just...Just gotta keep telling myself that so I can believe it, and when I do believe it, I won't like him anymore. _I hoped. He leaned his head against mine, causing me to still as we locked eyes. He was still smiling, but his eyes appeared just a bit more soulless. "Wh-What?"

"You say that, but you don't hate me." He noted happily, leaning forward and kissing my forehead. I blinked, feeling a blush spread across my face. "Is it because you have a darker side?"

"Wh-What?"

"A side you can't forgive yourself for?" I swallowed, diverting my gaze. Why was he suddenly asking all these questions? "Is that why you can't hate me?"

I was a jerk. A selfish jerk who didn't like people leaving her. Who wanted to cage everyone together with her and make sure they wouldn't disappear. I was too scared though. I could never do that. I wanted to, but I would never. They would hate me and leave me for sure then.

Pierce watched me in silence, seeing how I didn't answer. After a few moments, I felt him kiss my head again and rest his head on my shoulder. "I'm going to protect you...I won't let those bad people get you. You're my "lost treasure" after all. I can't let those bad men take you away."

"Y-yeah..."


	21. Sudden Cooperation

**Because I'm bored-BAD END: Alexis knees Pierce and runs away, bumping into one of the people who were trying to kidnap her. They shoot her in the shoulder and she screams, trying to run away. She then gets shot in the leg. The person grabs her before Pierce arrives and takes her away. Alexis dies from blood loss. **

**GOOD END: Alexis kisses Pierce, surprising him, and runs away into said attacker. Pierce arrives in time to save her from getting shot in both legs and kills the attacker, interrogating him. **

**BEST END: No attacker. Pierce and Alexis cuddle for a while (Though Alexis is "unwilling") and bump into Boris, who said he decided to pop back by because he was bored and wanted to hang out with Alexis. She had threaten Boris with Nightmares to get him to stop, and the three went into town-Why? Because Boris is reckless and didn't want be cooped up in a tower. Alexis just decided to go along so that he and Pierce didn't end up fighting. **

"What was the point in all this?" I questioned no one, poking at my cheesecake with a fork. Pierce took a bite of his cheese square and smiled, shrugging. It was plain to see that he was enjoying himself. Boris mowed down on a fish meal with a grin, looking at me and saying,

"Because we were hungry and the tower was boring." I scowled at his response and said,

"That's a stupid reason, idiot. We could have-We could have actually used the kitchen or something. I know how to cook for the most part." During my stay here in Wonderland, I have been cooking nonstop for Nightmare, Gray, and myself whenever I was at the tower and around what I considered "dinner time". My father had sent me some very good recipes and dishes on my phone. He seemed to not have even noticed that I was missing. He figured I was just staying at a friend's house or something. Weird, considering I never really left the house.

I did have some messages from Sarah though.

_what's happening? :-) _

_Alexis? _

_Why you no answer me? _

_are you okay? what's happening? Alexis? _

I scowled and quickly typed, _I'm fine. Sorry for the really late reply. _I felt like scolding her for her horrible grammar writing skills when it came to texting, but kept quiet about it. _Everything is fine. Eating cheesecake in town with cat and mouse. _I was too lazy to actually type their names. It was shorter this way and faster. _You? _

...

_Jack's still moping. he's getting better though. I think he's finally getting over ur disappearance. _I nearly choked my cheesecake. I ignored Pierce leaning over and licking off some of the cheesecake that got on my face and stared wide-eyed at the message. How-How bad did Jack take my disappearance?

_He really was my friend. It wasn't fake. _My chest hurt at the information and I felt like crying, but I held it in and typed back after some thought,

_That's good. _My fingers shook a little as I typed, and I flinched when I accidentally clicked send when there was a typo. _He getting any sleep? _

_Yeah,_ She replied, _my shoulder's currently asleep from him using it. _

_Aw! How cute. _I told her, feeling a smirk spread across my face. I blinked when a finger poked my head, and lifted my gaze to see both Boris and Pierce staring at me. "What?"

Boris grinned, asking, "What's with the smile? Find a good riddle?"

"No. It's just something Sarah told me. Did you find one?"

Boris grinned widely at me, looking rather excited now. "Here's a good one! It's "If ya have it, ya'd like to share it. If ya share it, ya haven't got it". What is it?" I paused, sticking another slice of cheesecake in my mouth. Oh...that's-I don't know if that's a tough _or _an easy one. What's something you have and would want to share, but can't share it because then you'd lose it?

_Pierce. _I stilled, holding my breath for a split second before breathing normally again, quickly chewing up my cake and swallowing it. _Okay, that's **definitely **not it... Wait. Pierce. Pierce! _I turned my head to look at him with wide eyes, the boy blinking at curiously and in confusion, a piece of cheese stuck on his fork and an inch away from his mouth. _If he shares the cheese, then he won't have the cheese anymore. And if I tell him that I like him, it won't be **mine **anymore! _I clapped my hands together excitedly and grinned up at Pierce widely. A small smile tugged at his lips as I turned my head to look back at Boris, exclaiming, "Secret! It's a secret!"

Boris nodded, smiling. "Yep. Ya got it. Here's another one..."It is the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. The beginning of the end and the end of every space". What is it?"

Oh, god, I have no idea. Well, fine, I'll give him a riddle myself. Quickly googling the riddle on my phone-_Why does Wonderland have internet access?_-and I grinned and said, "This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, And beats high mountain down." I _loved _the _Hobbit. _

Boris looked stunned at my riddle, before grinning at my challenge. "You have to figure out mine first."

"Fine. Okay...It was...beginning of end and eternity, and the end of every-" I paused, scowling and scrunching my nose up distastefully when I realized the tune and the repetitiveness. "I swear, Boris, if it's "e" then I'm gonna-"

"Correct!" He laughed at me, leaning over the table and poking me in the forehead again. Why does he keep doing that? It's like when Nightmare and Gray keep ruffling my hair-it makes no sense! "You're really smart, huh? Most people can't figure that out."

"_Hah?" _I'm sorry, but me? Smart? Not really. "Uh, thanks, I guess. Another one?"

"Waah! I wanna talk to Alexis!" Pierce whined, reaching over and wrapping his arms around, me pulling me into his chest. "She's my "treasure"!"

I looked at him in alarm, "Wait, what? I thought I was your "lost item"?" He pulled away and looked me dead in the eyes, causing my face to flare up as my heart beat faster. His ear twitched.

"You're more important than any "lost item"," He told me and smiled. I tensed and inhaled sharply when he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine, effectively making me taste a mix of cheese-and-coffee. He hugged me tightly and said with a smile, "You're a "treasure"." Pierce seemed really pleased about something and I was about to ask what, but he quickly pecked me on the mouth again. I felt warm. I scowled at him and turned my head, half tempted to slap him upside the head for kissing me like that.

Why does he keep doing that? And I know for a fact that it's not because I'm "cute". And why haven't Boris and Pierce tried to kill each other again yet? I doubt my threat worked _that _well...

"Cute," Boris commented, before his eye lit up. "Oh, this is gonna be a good one. Okay, Alexis...This one is for you and only you. Ya have to think _reaaaal _hard about this one, 'kay? "What can warm without heat? What can make a man both strong and weak? What can ya feel that ya can not touch? What can move ya that can not be budged"?"

...I had no idea. "Will power?" I asked, thinking about the second line, before my eyes lit up in realization. I grinned at him confidently, pointing my fork at him as I said, "Fear. Fear keeps you alive, and can make you keep on fighting if you fear that your loved ones will get hurt. You-You can't _touch _it, but you can feel it, and it can move you to do unexpected things. It warms a fire up in you, making you tremble at the very core! Right? Right!? Am I right?"

Boris looked surprised at my answer before frowning, shaking his head. "Nope." I was stunned. Seriously? "And the answer to your riddle is "time". Tough one, but not hard enough to crack this brain!" He tapped his head and grinned. Yeah, yeah, whatever...

Gah! Need to finish my cheesecake and damn it, Sarah, stop texting me right now!

_Shush you. When are you going to get a boyfriend? _

_I don't want one! _

_Not even that mouse-guy Nightmare keeps making fun of you about?_

My face flared red at the response and I turned my phone off, not before saying, _Shut up. I don't like him like that _and shoved it in my pants pocket. I continued to eat my cheesecake, intent on finishing it. What was the answer to his riddle anyway? Not fear... "Will power?" I went with my original guess.

"Not even close."

"Ugh...How about...loyalty?"

"Hm...close, but not quite. You'll get there." I scowled at Boris, and ignored the tingles being sent up my arm from it being so close to Pierce's. His tail tickled my face and I blinked, shoulders tensing as I resisted the urge to laugh from being tickled. "Something the matter?"

"Nope. Nothing's wrong." I resisted the urge to swat at Pierce's fluffy and adorable-looking tail and pushed my plate forward, having finished my food. Hmm... _Should I bite it? Oh, god, now I sound like Boris! ACK! No, not bite but... _I furrowed my eyebrows as I watched the fluffy tail swish in front of my face innocently, oblivious to my violent thoughts. _Grab it? B-But then he'll know...but I want to pet it! _Wow. I feel like a terrible person. My teddy bear was meant to be pet, not Pierce's _tail_.

Piecre let out a squeak and shot his head over to look at me in alarm, having felt his tail getting snatched. He should have _never _let his guard down! Bwahahahahahah! Mwahahahahaha hahahahhahaha!

Pierce relaxed as I gently held his tail in my hand, a smile twitching upwards on my lips as I pet the soft fur. I ran my fingers down his tail, lightly stroking it and feeling the softness of the brown-and-red fur. I tensed when his head leaned down and rested on my shoulder, but quickly relaxed as I continued to stroke his tail. He began to purr. It was cute.

After a moments debate, I reached up and started to rub his left ear with my thumb and fore-finger, drawing out an ever louder purr. Boris scowled at us.

"Do ya have to do that in front of me? Ya make me want to be pet, too." I blinked and turned my head to look at him, an amused grin stretching out across my lips. I held out my free hand, smirking.

"Well, then, hurry it up and get over here." He looked surprised before grinning, standing up and moving over to the booth that Pierce and I were sitting in and sat down next to me. His tail swished back-and-forth as he looked down at me expectantly, his ears twitching. I reached up my left hand and started to pet his head, smiling softly, as I gently scratched the area behind his right ear. Boris leaned into my touch with a purr and smile, obviously enjoying the pampering. I started to pet Pierce's head as well, and I jumped when Pierce reached up and kissed a spot on my neck before pulling away using my shoulder as a pillow again.

I scowled and looked at him out of the corner of my eyes, feeling my face turn red. _Stupid Pierce...Jerk. _

The peaceful time was ruined by a gunshot ringing out in the restaurant. Pierce squeaked in terror as Boris whipped out his gun, which I just now noticed was pink with gold chains on it. Boris stood up, his ear twitching in annoyance despite the grin spreading across his face. "Think they're here for ya, Alexis?"

I froze at the thought. Then I banged my head off the table, causing both animal-attribute people to look at me in alarm.

"Wh-What did you d-do that for!?" Pierce cried out, lifting my head off the table despite my urge to keep hitting my head. He brushed my bangs out of my forehead to get a better look, "Y-You're forehead is all red!"

"WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?"

_**BANG BANG BANG **_

"A-Again!?" I squeaked and screamed, grabbing onto Pierce out of instinct. He wrapped his arms around my back and looked up at Boris, who was firing his gun at multiple faceless in suits. "Gah!" I shouted loudly when a bullet from of the other men's guns nearly got Pierce and me.

"Pierce, get Alexis out of here!"

_**BANG BANG **_

_**BANG BANG BANG BANG **_

"R-Right!" Pierce grabbed my hand and led me out of the booth, bullets barely missing us as we ran to the back exit of the store.

"Over there!" A man shouted, pointing at us. "Grab her! Now!"

Boris grinned as he leaped up onto a table, shooting a couple of bullets into a faceless' chest. "All this fuss over a little girl? Ya'll are pathetic."

"You two! Get rid of him! You three, come with-!" Blood spurted out of his mouth as a bullet pierced his lung, and it didn't take him long to fall to the ground and bleed out, turning into a clock. Boris laughed and jumped out of the wall to avoid more gunshots.

"Come on, give me a challenge here!"

Pierce's grip on my hand tightened and he started to run faster. I was tripping over my feet trying to keep up with him. He slammed the door open, but there were people outside waiting for us. My heart stopped in my chest and I found myself having a death grip on Pierce's hand, my breath hitching in my throat.

The men took a few steps towards us and I felt Pierce place me behind him protectively, holding an arm out as he reached in his jacket. "Just give us the girl," The man said, pointing his gun at Pierce's head. I was about ready to push Pierce out of the way and throw myself at them, not wanting him to get hurt, when the ginger-haired mouse pulled out a gun himself and shot the man, flinching as he did so. He obviously didn't like using guns, and didn't use it often. "Agh!"

_**BANG BANG **_

_**BANG BANG BANG **_

"Th-This way!" Pierce squeaked, running through the path of blood and bodies that he had created. It wouldn't take long for them to become clocks.

"Wh-What about Boris!?" I cried out. Was he still alive? "We-We gotta go back-"

"He's fine," Pierce said, his voice completely serious despite the nervous look on his face. We never slowed down as we ran, "He can handle himself." I flinched at the sound of gunshots in the background, and the adrenaline pumping through my veins gave me enough incentive to increase my speed. Boris...be okay. "This way-" He turned a corner into an alley, and we ran to the end. I was confused until I saw the small door. I looked up at Pierce in realization, but didn't have to speak as I was quickly splashed with the shrinking potion.

_**BANG **_

_**BANG BANG BANG BANG **_

_**BANG BANG **_

"Damn it, where'd they-THERE! Quickly! She's shrinking!"

"Small or not, she'd still work! Kill the bastard!"

I'm finding it rather funny that they're trying to kidnap me, but are to busy talking to each other and shouting their plans to realizing that they could just shoot us in the legs and stop us from running. Ah, people are so stupid~! I let out a loud scream when a bullet nearly grazed my side, and it would have if I wasn't still shrinking. Soon I was the size of a mouse, and it didn't hurt my ears as much when the bullets rang out.

Pierce shot a couple more times at the people and winced, a bullet grazing his arm. He shot down to mouse-size and grabbed my hand, quickly opening the door and closing it behind us. You could hear the angry shouts of the faceless. Suddenly I felt very _very _tired. I was almost too scared to relax, feeling like another bullet was going to fly by and hit one of us. Pierce grabbed my hand and started to lead me away, muttering to himself about how he was going to bury people alive.

_I-Is he okay? Pierce? What about Boris; is Boris alright? _I was scared, worried, and-and I don't even _know _what else. However, I couldn't even speak. I was stunned into silence. _Why can't I talk? Is this...shock? _I had no idea. I think it was because I was running for my life mere moments ago that I couldn't understand how it was so quiet and peaceful, yet discomforting and scary at the exact same time.

The area became pitch black, and I had to rely on Pierce once again to guide us the maze.


	22. What Makes Us Living

I didn't like this. Pierce hugged me before running back out the exit, on his way to find Boris. I wasn't sure what was scaring me more-the fact that bad guys were trying to kidnap me and kill my friends, or that my friends were actually getting along, and that Pierce was _looking _for _Boris_. I sat down with knees tucked against my chest, my head resting in my arms as I leaned against the giant tree covered with buttons and bottles.

Were they safe? We left Boris to fend for himself...Who would _do _something like that? What kind of person am I? I-I'm...I really am a horrible person... I couldn't even speak as Pierce told me to stay and ran off. "D-Damn it..." It was hard not to cry. "What am I doing?"

I hadn't the slightest clue what I was supposed to do now. Was I supposed to just sit here? It was obvious that I couldn't even spend one time period outside the tower with Boris and Pierce without getting attacked. Oh, god, what if they end up like John!? N-No...

_No, no, no...That's not-That's not going to happen. _Pierce and Boris are tougher than that... They won't die. Right? _Right? _

What about Nightmare and Gray? They went to the hospital earlier. Did-Did they get attacked? Oh, god, what if Gray was so busy trying to protect Nightmare that he got killed, and because Nightmare ended up sick again that _he _died because he couldn't protect himself?

_Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god... Please be okay, please be okay-be okay, be okay, be okay- _I couldn't stop thinking. The only thing that crossed my mind was about all the possible bad outcomes. I groaned and grabbed my head, banging it against the tree behind me repeatedly in an attempt to get rid of all the horrible thoughts. God damn, how much of a pessimist _was _I? They're okay. They're totally okay. They're not-They're not _dead _or anything...

I swallowed, the tears stinging my eyes. I didn't even know how long it had been since Pierce had left me here. "D-Damn it..." I was truly pathetic. Just how much longer was I going to keep thinking like this? They didn't hate me-no, they wanted to _protect _me and here I was sitting here while they were leading themselves to their deaths! Damn it.

Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot, IDIOT! I stood up, and right at that moment Pierce ran back into the room, covered in blood. His arm was no longer bleeding, but I took no notice of that I stormed up to him, a dark look on my face as my bangs fell into my eyes. Pierce seemed not to notice as he smiled at me, rushing over to hug me. I didn't protest as his arms wrapped around, and I listened as he told me about what happened.

"Alexis~! We got rid of the bad people, so you don't have to worry now, okay? I buried them and we know who they're working for, so we can-"

Pierce was promptly shut up with as my hand struck his face, leaving a bright red mark on his left cheek. He was completely silent as I glared up at him, tears threatening to fall down my face. Wh-Who the _hell _does he think he is!? Just-Just _waltzing _in here like that!? He-He...That...

"IDIOT!" I screamed at him, tackling him and wrapping my arms around his neck tightly. He froze at my sudden actions, his teary green eyes widening in shock. "Just-Just what the _hell _were you _thinking!?_ You can't-You can't just-just _leave _me like that! What if you got killed!?" I tensed when I realized what my words sounded like and quickly pulled away, face flushing slightly as I scowled. I crossed my arms and turned my head, looking away from Pierce. "I-I wasn't _that _worried, so-so don't get the wrong idea, okay? Jeez, you're so stupid!" It took all I had to make sure my voice didn't crack. "Y-You're covered in blood..."

He just continued to stare at me, as if he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do or say. I swallowed and rubbed my neck awkwardly, not liking the current situation.

"You...didn't get hurt, are you? How's Boris? Is he alright!? He didn't get killed, did he!?" Worry suddenly overtook me as I looked at him, grabbing his arms and looked over the bloodstains trying to find any cuts or bullets. "Why-Why are you so stupid!? I-I swear, you're always acting like an idiot, and then you go and _this _happens! How badly did you get hurt?"

"Hm? I didn't get hurt." He replied in confusion, finally finding his voice.

"Like hell you didn't," I growled, glaring at him. My eyes were still watery. "Jacket. Off. _Now._" Pierce frowned at me, but did as told, stripping himself of his green coat. "Good boy. Now come here and let me see your arms." Pierce blinked at me and held out his arms to his sides, allowing me to cautiously push up his sleeves to try and find any injuries. I'll be honest-the most I know about medicine is you use ointment and bandages. Shouldn't be too difficult if I find a scratch; I would just slap a bandaid on it and tell him to deal with it.

I ignored the fact that he had muscle and moved to his other arm, pushing that sleeve up as well and examining it. My eyes widened in surprise at the sight of a small thin scar. "Where'd that come from?"

"Huh? Oh, that's from when a bullet scratched me earlier. It'll be gone once this time period ends." Pierce answered, smiling. "We heal faster than you and Alice do." I scowled at him, slapping him in the arm lightly. He winced and let out a complaint. "Why'd you do that!?"

"Because I could. Now tell me what happened to Boris. Is he alright?" He wasn't...dead, right?

Pierce's eyes darkened for a moment, narrowing at me slightly. "Why are you so worried about him?"

"I'm not _worried _about him," I corrected, very obviously lying. "He's just-I'm just trying to find out if he's still alive or not, okay? He's-" Should I say it? If I say it...if I completely admit that I had attachments here, could I truly leave? ...Screw it, I already called Nightmare my best friend, so what the hell? "He's my friend."

"What am I, then?"

"You're my friend, too." I responded easily, looking him dead in the eyes. "Why the hell did you think I was yelling at you a few moments ago?" I felt his arms slip out of my grasp and I stilled when he cupped my face with his hands, leaning down to get a better look at my face. He looked serious as he tilted his head at me, his bangs falling out of his eyes. "Wh-What?" I tried to take a step back, my face flaring red, but Pierce made it a little difficult with him holding my head like he was. It was gentle, but firm.

"...You're pathetic," He told me, a small smile curling up on his lips. I froze, looking at him stunned with wide eyes. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine softly, smiling with his eyes closed. "And you're cute...and you're all mine." He kissed my forehead, causing me to squeeze my eyes shut at the action. I was still not completely used to his actions of affection. Or, rather, over-affection. "You're adorable when you're trying to hide."

Wait, what? No, no, no, no, no. Pierce was _gullible. _Not _knowledgeable. _There was a _big _difference. He shouldn't have known I was hiding something. I looked at him alarmed, and I was even more alarmed when I realized how close his face was to mine. "H-Hide? D-Dude, what the hell are you t-talking about?"

His ear twitched and he kissed me again, before moving over and lightly nibbling on my ear.

"_Nnng... _H-Hey!" I pulled away and clamped a hand over my ear, my face a dark red as I glared weakly at him. "D-Don't-Don't do that!"

He looked surprised and pouted at me, "Why not?"

"B-Because!"

He frowned for a moment before he reached over and hugged me, pulling me into his chest as his arms clung to tightly, holding me close. "If you're scared, just tell me-Chuu. I said I'd protect you."

_Y-You..._ "Stupid..." I muttered, hitting him on the chest lightly. I placed my hands on his chest and grumbled to myself, feeling my eyes start to water again. "I-I'm not scared...I wasn't. I don't care what you say, I wasn't worried."

"Hehe...You're so cute. You're so cute and pathetic, Alexis. Chuu~!" He kissed the side of my head and I leaned into the touch, feeling very warm for some reason.

Oddly, Boris' riddle popped up into my head. _Can warm without heat... and makes you stronger, but weaker at the same time because you're vulnerable. _I've read so many books and poems, dealt with so many rhymes and riddles...watched one too many animes. I knew the answer. Damn it, this wasn't good. Not. At. _All. _

"I love you," He hummed, kissing my forehead. "I'm glad you don't hate me."

Wh-What brought up _that _subject? He wasn't Nightmare, he can't read minds! Or-Or was it the way the conversation was going and I stopped listening and I missed what he was saying before? Maybe it was because I started to think and I lost the mood? I don't KNOW!

"Y-yeah, well, I don't-I don't love you, so-so deal with it." GAH! Why did I just say that!? NO! MOUTH SHUT UP! BRAIN, STOP THINKING.

"Hmm..." Pierce appeared thoughtful as he loosened his grip on me. "Okay. I have plenty of time though, so I'm not worried."

Again, time for _what? _Answers, dude, I need answers!

"Time for what?" I demanded, pulling away from him. He smiled widely at me, his soulless eyes boring into mine pleasantly. "P-Pierce?"

He said with a grin, "To make you fall in love with me, of course!"

..._Haaaaaah? _

* * *

"FOOOD!" I tried not to burst out laughing as Nightmare barged into the kitchen, slamming the doors open as he breathed heavily, exhausted from running such a long way. "We-We're back!" He breathed, panting as sweat trailed down the side of his face. Gray strolled in next, sending Nightmare a stern look.

"Indeed we are, Alexis. And Lord Nightmare, what have I _told _you about not straining your body? You get sick much faster when you run. You haven't even taken your medicine yet."

Nightmare looked around the room expectantly, as if waiting for food to pop up out of thin air. He deflated soon enough, looking at me with fearful eyes. "You...didn't make anything?" I shook my head, frowning.

"Nope. I was about to, though, when you barged in."

Gray spoke next, still holding his coat over his arm as he had to chase after Nightmare, "I told you that I would cook dinner tonight, Alexis." I stared at him in confusion, trying to remember when that was.

"...You...did...Oh! I remember now, sorry. Big day." I lied, trying my hardest to not think about the events. However, that didn't stop me from wanting to cry in relief at the fact that Nightmare and Gray were alive and safe. "Boris kidnapped Pierce and me, dragged us to a restaurant, stuff happened, and now I'm back here."

During my explanation, Gray had moved over and gently pushed me out of the way so he could take control of the kitchen. I moved over to talk to Nightmare properly.

"I see," Nightmare commented, frowning. I scowled when I realized he must have looked through my memories. Jerk. He then commented in amusement, looking down at me, "I see you're wearing Mr. Villiers' clothing again. Really, you must try to hide your intents."

Air got stuck in my throat as I coughed, my face turning a bright red. "Th-That's not it! I-I just grabbed a random outfit and this is what I grabbed! I-I don't pay attention to what I wear, okay?"

_"Lies~!" _He sang in my head, causing me to scowl and imagine myself punching him. "Hey, that's mean! I didn't do anything wrong!"

"You're making fun of me!" I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I was _teasing _you! Big difference!"

"Not really."

Gray interrupted calmly, "Dinner is ready." Wait, what? So fast? That wasn't even ten minutes! I turned my head to look at Gray, and felt the blood drain out of my face at the sight of the food he was holding. Was...Was that _edible? _"Please, sit down. I'll get out the dishes."

...I'm scared. Like, completely scared. It...looked like it was _breathing. _And it was red. Red and _breathing_. I don't trust it.

I swallowed as Gray placed a bowl in front of me, then Nightmare, and then sat down himself.

"G-Gray..." Nightmare began slowly, stress lines forming down his blue face, "What...all did you put in it this time?"

"Everything that was needed of course," Gray replied with a pleased smile, obviously proud of his creation. "Salt, pepper, ranch, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, meat..." The list went on and on and on and it sounded deadly. "It's good and it's healthy for you."

Good...not so sure. Healthy? Probably _detrimental_ to my health. However, Gray looked so..._happy _and proud of the meal that I had to take a small bite.

And shot out of my seat, power-walking to nearest trashcan to gorge up my stomach acids. Gray looked alarmed, and Nightmare looked sick to the stomach as well. It didn't take long for him to come join in me hacking up anything and everything we had in our stomachs. I felt like I was dying.

That...could not be even _called _food. It was more like poison. Toxic waste. _Death _medicine.

Oh-Oh god-I went into another wave of convulsions as I gorged up nothing-seeing as there was nothing _left _for me to puke up. Nightmare had finished gagging up his blood and stomach, and was now cradling himself in a ball. Lucky.

It took a few more moments, maybe about a minute or two, before I was finally done convulsing. Good god, my chest and stomach hurt...my throat burned and my mouth tasted like-well, like shit. Where's a toothbrush? I groaned to myself as I sat there before falling onto my back onto the marble floor, eyes closed. I could hear Gray fussing over me and Nightmare, but I didn't think much about it.

It was strange. Everything had changed for me. I never thought much about it, I don't even know why I was thinking about it now. But I had changed so much in such a short time.

I went from such a naive little girl to the person I am now. I didn't smile on a daily basis, I didn't even trip as much as I used to. I never really believed in fantasies before, nor have I ever really "wanted" anything. The only thing I had cared about was my friends' happiness. In fact, that was still how I was. I would willingly die in a hole or jump into a lava pit if they would live. I wasn't as childish, though I still do have my moments, and wasn't as..._ignorant_.

People could die at a given moment and nobody would ever know. No one would care, because it wasn't related to them. But here, death didn't matter. However to me, that wasn't true. Death _did _matter. Even if one gets replaced, it's not the same person. It's someone completely different.

It's like back in our world, a person dies and a baby is born. But that baby inherits that person's job and becomes the heir. Like a monarchy, but different. You aren't _replaced_. You die. Someone else comes to take your job. Simple as that. Why does no one else see that?

But they were alive. Nightmare and Gray...Pierce and Boris...they were alive. They were all okay. They weren't killed. They haven't left me.

I blinked away the tears that formed in my eyes and swallowed, cringing at the horrible taste in my mouth and the burning in my throat.

I was growing too attached to this world. To it's people. I didn't want to leave here at all. I wanted to leave at a moments notice. I wanted to stay with my new friends and family. I wanted to see my old friends and family. I wanted to live in Wonderland and goof off, deal with the adrenaline rush from the fear of being killed, running for my life constantly. I wanted to live in my old house with my dad, living a boring and peaceful life, un-threatened by near-death as I argue over Sarah with Jack.

For once in my life, I truly wanted something. But that something is impossible to obtain. So how, _how _was I supposed to go about it?

I was going to have to make a choice soon. My vial was halfway full. Near completion. I was going to have to choose whether to stay in Wonderland, with Nightmare and Pierce...or go back to my old world, with Derek, Sarah, and Jack.

How...How was I going to make that choice?

I felt a hand ruffle my hair gently and looked up to see Nightmare looking down at me with a gentle smile, a small trail of blood going down his chin. Gray was hovering over Nightmare with napkins in his hands, and was staring down at me worriedly.

How could I leave the people I considered family?

Tears welled up in my eyes, startling Gray as he was unable to read my mind, and tackled Nightmare in a tight hug, sobbing. I seemed to cry a lot. I did back at home as well. However, isn't crying something that makes us who we are?

What makes us _human? _Alive. Living. Breathing. Showed that we could process emotions and had the ability to care?

Indeed. So why...did it _hurt _so damn much? Just-Just thinking about that choice...

It felt like someone was crushing my heart with their fist.

**Read and review. I like to know what people think about this so far. XD **


	23. What Can Lead To Death

"Nightmare~!" I whined, sitting on the couch in his bedroom as I cuddled with the adorable kitten known as Amber, "When can I leave? It's been four days!"

"You've been attacked _three times _already, Alexis," Nightmare responded, turning his head to look at me. He placed his arm on the back of his chair, his other resting on his lap. He frowned at me, "You are not to leave the Tower of Clover without Gray or another role-holder. I forbid it."

"You're not my dad!" I argued, annoyed. I scowled at him, rubbing the spot right behind Amber's ear. I held back a sneeze, "You can't just _forbid _me to go somewhere! You're not even my brother!"

"That may be so, but I refuse to put you in anymore danger. I am the Lord of this Tower and what I say goes, so there." That...That was so _childish! _How ridiculous is this!? You can't just trap me in here and expect me to obey! I'm _not_ some submissive disney princess, buddy. "On the contrary, I find you much more submissive than you are actually aggressive." My jaw dropped at his words, and at that moment I wanted nothing more than to strangle and bury him alive. Nightmare coughed a little at my thoughts and wiped his mouth off with his handkerchief, stammering, "Th-That _isn't _an insult, Alexis! I was merely stating a fact!"

"Shut up and do your paperwork," I growled, standing up and holding Amber to my chest. "Fact or not, I don't care." Submissive people are "_ukes_". I refused to be an _uke_. Jeez... As I walked to the door, I tried to ignore the feeling of guilt that was bubbling inside of me, weighing on my chest. I-I won't apologize for what I said. I refuse. Because-Because if I apologize, that means Nightmare won, and if Nightmare won then I really _would_ have to stay in the Tower for the rest of life. I grumbled to myself, irritated at the entire situation. "Freaking stupid Incubus..."

"Hey! I'm not stupid!"

"So says the one who's acting like a kid and refuses to do his paperwork!" I slammed the door shut behind me and scowled, finally let out a loud sneeze as Amber jumped out of my arms. Inside the room, there was the clattering of objects hitting the floor and the hammering of footsteps running frantically. I turned my head to look at the door in confusion, hearing Nightmare shouting my name in horror, only to let out a small scream as a cloth was placed over my mouth and nose, an arm around my torso and holding me in place to prevent from escaping.

Chloroform. My eyes widened and I squeezed them shut, thrashing my head about trying to get it off of me as I held by breath. The door slammed open, revealing Nightmare, and the man holding me quickly threw me over his shoulder and broke out into a run.

"GRAY!" Nightmare yelled, before going completely silent. I started to let out a scream when the faceless carrying me ran onto a window ledge, kicking the thing and breaking the glass. Unfortunately, that caused me to breathe in some of the toxin and made me grow extremely lightheaded. I could barely make out a blurry image of Gray running at us, knives sailing through the air in our direction.

"Release her at once!"

"Ha! Like hell I will!" The man scoffed and jumped out the window, causing me to scream as loud as I possibly could before everything went black, succumbing to the poison of the chloroform.

When I awoke, I had a killer migraine and oddly tasted something metallic. My throat was sore.

"-damn lizard. Nearly skewered me." I winced a the sound of his voice and briefly registered that he was carrying me. It was dark. "Hey, Damien; you here or not?" I quickly closed my eyes and tried to pretend I was asleep, doing my best to calm my breathing. _Come on, don't let them find out your awake. _"I got the girl."

"You have the foreigner?"

"Yup. I have one question before I hand her over; why the _hell _did you want us to meet up in an alley?"

"Because if it was at a restaurant or a warehouse, we'd be found out!"

"But those places are less suspicious-" There was a click.

_**BANG**_

Holy-! I screamed as the man that was holding me suddenly fell to the ground, dropping me simultaneously. My back hit against the floor pavement roughly and the world spun for a moment. I froze and turned my head when I heard the sound of a gun clicking, seeing the man pointing the barrel straight at my head. I swallowed, feeling a lump form in my pained throat. Good god, it hurt... Wish I had some water.

"Stand up," He ordered, his eyebrows tilting down in anger. I pushed myself onto my feet, my legs nearly buckling and giving out below me from exhaustion. The chloroform must not have worn out completely. He scowled at me, "I knew we should have used a bigger dose. Come on, then. This way." He gestured with his gun for me to follow him. Fear shot through me and my body almost didn't want to obey. Hesitantly sliding a foot forward, I slowly followed the man out the alley. I could briefly hear the sounds of people bumbling about in the town nearby.

His name was...Damien, right?

"Walk faster, damn it!" I hurried my pace, trying my best not to panic. Shit. Holy shit, I'm screwed. _I never should have argued with Nightmare! _I just didn't like him telling me what I should be doing. Damn it. "If you even _think _about slowing down, I'm gonna blast your god damned brains out. Got it?"

"Y-Yes, sir!" I squeaked, flinching as I tried to keep up. We didn't walk long. We walked to the end of the alley and turned the corner, and there was a door right there.

"Thanks to you and that damn rat, we had to change our fucking headquarters. Now, get in front of me." I froze, really not wanting to do that. If I go in front of him, he'll shoot me in the back. "I said _move!_" I scurried over to stand in front of the man, and tensed when I felt the gun get pressed against my middle-back. "That's right. Be a good girl and just listen. See that door over? Walk over and open it." It was difficult trying to hide my fear as I walked over and twisted the knob, the world around me seeming slow and desolate and painted in gray. One wrong move and the gray would be dashed in red crimson. "Go down the stairs." The hairs on my neck stood up as I grabbed the railing on the stairs, walking down the stairs slowly, "Now, go through _that _door and down those stairs." I walked even slower-as if expecting someone to jump out and come save me like in the movies.

The only thing that happened was that I was in a cold basement, and when I got to the bottom of the stairs, I felt the butt of a gun bash against my cranium and was sent sprawling across the floor, unconscious.

* * *

Damien grabbed the girl by her arm and slung her over his shoulder, scowling at all the work he was having to do. He was regretting killing Joshua by the second. The point of having henchman was to have _them _do all the dirty work. Unfortunately, his henchmen kept failing him every time he found the girl's whereabouts and kept getting killed by all the stupid role-holders she was with. He had spies everywhere. Telling him of her whereabouts and when, making it easy for him to send more faceless after her.

But she kept managing to escape. The assassin he sent to the tower ages ago was completely unable to find her and was later killed by the lizard, and the damn Cheshire cat had managed to help her escape _twice_, the second time with help of the mouse as he fended off all Damien's men. Joshua was the only one to escape alive-_with _the girl. He was a bit banged up, sure, as he must have had an encounter with that fucking Incubus' subordinate lizard.

If it wasn't for him...If it wasn't for him, they'd have the most revered ex-assassin of all time on their side! And now this little whore...Damn, it just pissed him off thinking about it. And because of his big mouth, Joshua had to get taken off the list. _Damn it_, he scowled, throwing the girl on the ground against a wall. Kneeling down, he grabbed her wrists and put the handcuffs around them, leaving her wrists chained to a wall. The side of her head was bleeding from when the gun hit her, and if she awoke, she'd probably feel like she was in hell.

He smirked. Why, that was if she awoke at all. Between getting chloroformed and hit in the side of the head, he doubted that someone as fragile as a foreigner would ever wake up. Especially if that foreigner looked as weak as this one did. He was going to kill that damn Incubus, and he was going to use this little whore to do it. Dancing her way around all the role-holders...bending them to her every whim...

It would only make sense if they risked their lives trying to save her. And when that Incubus comes, he was going to kill her. And when he's disoriented with grief, it'll be _his _turn. Damien could already see it play out in his head.

The game wasn't even ending, yet. It had only just begun. Besides, even _if _his plan fails and he dies, there's always April Season. Everyone has their own Joker. Whether or not they acknowledge it consciously or subconsciously... There was no doubt that this little girl had her own Joker.

Kicking her leg harshly to see if she would wake up, he frowned at her before shrugging. She was still alive, so that was all that really mattered. He couldn't have her die before his plan started to unwind. She was the main piece-the pawn. The most important pawn.

As Damien walked back up the stairs, he closed the door behind him and locked it. As smart as the role-holders were, they weren't going to find her that easily. He trudged up another set of stairs and went thought a trap door, appearing at another part of town. Gunshots were echoing about and he knew that the Hatter Family were arguing over territory negotiations again. The Queen's guards must have chased them out of her territory and into town, which was why they were fighting now.

"Haha! You faceless are so weak! Right, brother?!"

"Mm!" The red-eyed twin smirked in agreement, slashing at a soldier with his ax. Damien ground his teeth together, seeing the twins in their adult forms. If he wasn't careful, he may die himself. "Right! Hey, hey, why are you runnin'? We're still playin' with you!"

The soldier was given to time to react or even scream as he was promptly split in two. The entire town was covered in bloodshed, but it was nothing that Damien wasn't used to seeing.

"Stop goofing around, brats!" Elliot growled, bullets flying out of his gun with surprising aim. "Do your job seriously!"

"Eh?" They exclaimed, "We are, you chickie-rabbit!"

Blood merely smirked at their arguments, waving his cane around before transforming it into a gun, sidestepping an attack from another soldier and shooting him in the head, before pointing the gun behind him and releasing another gunshot. A man fell dead to the ground. "Now, now. We need to hurry and finish this, otherwise dear Alice will get worried. We can't have that, can we?"

Damien tried to ignore them as he slipped through a crack in another alley, trying to get to a certain place.

* * *

Someone kill me. Please. Just kill me now. Tears welled up in my eyes as the man pulled on my hair roughly, a knife gliding across my skin on my arm. My cheek was still bleeding from earlier, and the left side of my face had bruises. My entire body hurt-my head, my chest, my legs, my arms-everywhere he had hit and cut me. A whole time period had passed by now-maybe even two. I wasn't really counting.

"Just tell me already!"

"I-I already said I don't know anything!" I cried out in pain as he pulled on my hair again, sending a terrible pain into my already-aching skull. He dragged another line down my arm, causing blood to trail down the pale skin and sink into my clothes, dripping onto the floor. "How-how many times do I have to tell you!?"

He slammed my head against the wall behind me, before releasing my hair and wrapping an hand around my throat, putting intense pressure on my windpipe. My eyes watered and the pressure in my head only increased. It didn't take long for my lungs to start burning as they cried out for oxygen. My neck felt like it was going to snap and my eyes like they were going to pop out of my head.

I wanted to cry and scream and fight for my life as a face flashed through my mind. His smile...His stupid, stupid face and his annoying crying... His laugh... Damn it-Le-Let go! L-let go-of-me-! I would have clawed at the man's hand if I could, but I was pinned against the wall with chains. Why was it always chains?

Mafia. Right. There's more than one.

"Just tell me his damn weakness and I'll let your ass go!" His grip tightened, and I started to grow horribly sleepy. Seeing this, he released me and allowed me to fall back against the cold wall gasping and coughing. My chest heaved painfully and my lungs were practically crying in relief. I let out a shaky labored breath and coughed roughly, tears streaming down my face as I managed to get the beautiful taste of air back in my lungs.

I-I'm alive...I'm alive... I felt so light-headed. The world was practically spinning at this point, shadows dancing and laughing at me in the background. Voices were whispering for me to close my eyes, but I refused to listen. They were so comforting and relaxing, egging me on...

But I didn't trust them.

Once I regained my bearings, I looked at the guy standing before me-him being completely different compared to Damien. This one had brown hair and tan skin. He had a beauty mark right underneath where his right eye should be. Swallowing painfully, my throat still sore, I gasped, "You...aren't gonna learn anythin' by keepin' me here..."

He held up his knife and stared at his reflection for a moment, a deep frown etching onto his face. He turned his head and looked down at me with a smirk. "Is that so? You can't even breathe properly right now. You're lucky I'm under strict orders not to kill you, otherwise you'd be completely dead right now. Now, how still and this might not hurt so much..." My face twisted into that of fear as he grabbed my left leg, holding the knife towards it. I screamed and kicked, trying to get him to release me. He let out an angered yell and back-handed me across the face, leaving the taste of iron in my mouth. "Shut the fuck up and stay still you little bitch!" I ground my teeth together as the knife let multiple cuts on my leg.

I wanted to curl up into a ball and die. I didn't want to be here. Where was Pierce? Where was Gray? Where was everyone? Why hadn't they come yet? Do they hate me? I'm scared...I'm so scared...Someone please save me... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being a terrible person. Just someone please get me out of this hell...

The man stood up and roughly ruffled my hair, smirking at me. "Well, I think that's enough for now. I'll be back later. You can go and catch a few z's in the meantime."

Sleep? They expected me to be able to _sleep _after all they were putting me through? Ho-How could I be able to sleep? I-I want to go home...Just leave me alone. Go away. Go away and leave me be. Let me go home.

Tears welled up in my eyes again, and I could only watch his retreating back go up the stairs. He closed the door behind him and the room became pitch black. My shoulders started to shake as I let out a choked sob, trying to keep myself from breaking down completely and balling my eyes out.

What did I do wrong? Was it because I'm a bad person? W-Was it because I was so mean to everyone? W-Why was...why was this happening to me?

Pierce's face flashed through my mind again and I cried, sitting there chained against the wall with blood trickling down my skin. Down my face, down my arms, down my legs... Was I in Hell?

All my life, I honestly never thought something like this would happen to me. I knew it existed, I knew it happened to hundreds of people all the time, but my life was so boring and uneventful, the thought of something like this happening never really occurred...

Was it because I was naive? That I was ignorant? Is that why this was happening? I didn't know...

I wanted to go home. To Nightmare. To Gray. To the Clover Tower. I want to go home. Just take me home. I don't care. Just take me home.

Pierce...

_I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. W-Why was I such a jerk to you guys...? I'm sorry...I'm so sorry... _They were all so nice to me and I-I just-I just acted like a total jerk and... and now I won't ever be able to apologize. My last words to them were unforgivable.

_"Fall in love with you? The hell is that supposed to mean, stupid? Like I'd fall for you." _But I did. I fell for Pierce so _damn hard_. And Nightmare...I got into an argument with him and endlessly insulted him... Elliot still thought I was scared of him, and I yelled at the twins for trying to kill me and told them that I hated their guts. I never really talked to Vivaldi much, but she was actually rather nice. Alice... same thing. I should have been nicer. Peter...I-I don't know about him, but I was probably really mean to him too. Blood-I had only one conversation with total, and that was during the Assemblies... Boris-I know he's alive, but I haven't been able to actually talk to him or thank him for saving me, and now... He probably thinks I hate him for not talking to him.

Wh-Why...Why is everything I do so bad? Why am I such a jerk?

I was left there to drown in my thoughts, surrounded by complete silence. There was nothing but the sound of my own breathing, and the sound of blood slowly dripping against the floor. I felt completely light-headed. I wanted to sleep. I was scared to sleep though, for I feared that if I closed my eyes, it wasn't going to be Nightmare that I saw. It wouldn't even be Pierce.

It would just be darkness and death, escorting me into the afterlife. If I die here...would be dead, or would I be reborn as someone with a clock? Or was it impossible to die here, and that if I "died" here, I'd be shoved back into my world? It was curious thought, but not one I really wanted to find out. I wanted to die as an old lady with grandchildren-not as a fifteen-year-old girl from bloodloss and a possible concussion. Actually, it probably _was _a concussion I had. I don't even remember how many times my head had hit the wall or how many times I got bashed against the head.

My wrists were sore. My legs were numb. My head hurt like hell, and my entire body was asleep-limp even. Just how much longer could I keep this up?

I wanted to apologize to everyone... to Pierce. I...said something mean and hurt him. He ended up crying after my words. He trivialized it and said that I didn't mean what I said and that I would fall for him, but I kept lying and saying such bad things...

Why was Pierce the only one who kept popping up in my mind? I'm thinking of everyone, but he's the one I think about the most. The one I feel most bad about. I know I...I know I liked him, but...

Boris' riddle. Warms without heat, and makes man both strong and weak. Something you feel, but you cannot touch. And something that moves you, but cannot be budged. I already knew the answer to it, but... Did he give me that riddle to try and tell me something?

-_this one is for you and only you. Ya have to think **reaaaal **hard about this one- _

It only made me cry harder, and it pissed me off so damn much because I couldn't wipe my tears away with my hands. My eyes stung and I could only shift my shoulder and turn my head awkwardly to wipe my eyes on the stained sweater-dress I was wearing. It hurt. My chest felt like it was being crushed, and I felt like a complete idiot for not realizing everything sooner.

Boris gave me the answer to everything, and I was too stupid to realize what he was hinting at. Pierce said he loved me, that he was going to make me fall in love with him. Little did he know, I already loved him. Damn-Damn jerk! No...No, he's not the jerk. I was. I'm the jerk.

I'm the true villain here. Everyone else are my victims. They did nothing but be nice to me, and I acted like a complete and total...

_B-I-T-C-H _

I stared at the letters craved into my leg, feeling almost lifeless. I shuffled and leaned my head back, staring into the empty abyss of darkness. I had grown so used to the dark, that I could practically see in it at this point.

Maybe a little nap wouldn't hurt. If I die, not many people would probably even care. Besides, I'm completely numb. I doubt I'd even feel anything.

So, closing my eyes, I succumbed to sleep.

**And the plot thickens. Sorry if its a bit fast paced, but I was trying to do a chapter a day. DX Then again, I was writing those at 4 o'clock in the morning, so there's that too. Anyway, I'm taking it a bit slower now. We're finally at the major part of this arc. **

**There will be an April Season with Joker, but I might make that into another story called "We're All Mad Here: Circus Freaks". That'll be story 2. Which means we'll get to meet Julius! :) Sorry, he's one of my favorites. He, Nightmare, Pierce, and Peter-though sadly Peter isn't in this story much. Sad face. I might include another character to make things interesting. Fufufufu...**

**Anyway, read and review and tell me what you think! And sorry if the kidnapping is a bit sudden, along with the attacks, but it's kinda difficult trying to write scenes like that without it being all sudden and out-of-the-blue. There are more Mafia bosses other than Blood. I know that much. **

**I think that if its Mafia, it would make more since for them to know her whereabouts due to spies and what-not, and why they would try and grab her at every moments notice. They'd do whatever the hell they want to GET what they want. As proven by Elliot when he once said "I'm a filthy member of the Mafia! That means I'll take and do what I want" I think it was something like that anyway. Eh.**

**I think this is the mindset of how a person who was kidnapped and tortured would react. I was never kidnapped myself, though my family did think that about twice in my life (getting lost at the farmer's fair. My sister had me help carry the band's banner. I was around ten, then. Tried to back track after the parade was over to get back to my brother, sister, and mother and had to stop in the crowd cause of the floats driving by. Another time I rode the wrong bus when I was about 8. I wasn't the brightest child.) **


	24. What Can Save You From Death

_Was I dead? No...No, I was dreaming. Yes, I was dreaming. Felt like a dream. Felt like reality as well. Am I sitting? I think I am. I couldn't really feel anything below my shoulders. My arms tingled a little, but my legs were completely numb. _

_"A-xis!" I blinked, hearing a voice in the distance. Axis? What was this-science class? "L-is!" L'is? Oh! Alice. What about her? "ALEXIS!" Oh...OH! That person is talking to me. Okay, that makes more sense. Lifting my head up, as I really was sitting on the ground, I saw a figure flying towards me in the distance. It looked like a spec as it was so far away. Lowering my head, I stared at the cuts all over my arms and legs, face muscles hurting as I frowned and bit my lip. My entire face felt sore. _

_The letters on my leg have yet to vanish. _

_"Alexis!" This time, instead of frantic, the voice sounded completely horrified. "Who __**did **__this to you?" The voice then changed and deepened, sounding angered. "They will regret this..." _

_That voice. I know that voice. Where do I know that voice? Deep, deep, deep, deep-silver. Silver. Yeah. Silver hair and a deep voice. Night...Nightmare. Nightmare! _

_"Nightmare!" I exclaimed, my head hurting but finally able to fully remember who was talking to me. Ugh...ow. I flinched and resisted the urge to cry out in pain. My face hurt. Nightmare looked calm, but I could tell he was angry. His face had darkened. "H-Hi..." I had no idea what I was supposed to say. I felt like breaking down into tears and apologizing for every bad thing I did to him-for every insult, for every time I made him take his medicine and make him do his paperwork, for calling him stupid and letting him take the brunt of Gray's determination and anger-all I wanted to do was apologize. I didn't want him to hate me for being so cruel to him. _

_"You weren't being cruel," He said, frowning as he knelt down in front of me, no longer floating about in the air. I winced as his hand brushed my face, observing the wounds and markings. "The people who did this to you-_**_they _**_are cruel. They will be punished. As soon as this dream ends, Gray and I will be on our way to your current location. As long as I'm able to contact you in a dream, and your mind is still conscious, I'm able to locate you."_

_Uh...huh. I nodded my head slowly, brain still hurting as I tried to process his words. Nightmare ground his teeth together and narrowed his eye. He kept his face neutral, but his eye looked like he wanted to kill. _

_...Would Pierce have acted the same way? Why am I even thinking about him at this point? I was always so cold towards him... _

_Nightmare frowned and said, "Pierce would probably snap if he saw you in this state, Alexis. You saw how he acted when you were around Boris, and how he was around you constantly when you were first attacked. Please, just stop worrying about it for a while and focus on keeping yourself alive. I'm going to wake you up now, so that tracking you will be a little easier. Gray and I will be there shortly. I'm...I'm sorry for failing you earlier." _

_Failing me? What's he talking about? _

_"I failed to warn you about the assassin. I didn't think he'd be so foolish as to grab you when I was nearby, so I said nothing of it. Gray knew of him as well and was planning on going to take care of him, but he struck sooner than we both had thought. Because of my failure, this has happened..." His gaze trailed down to the word carved into my leg, and a dark aura formed around him. "The man who did this is not going see the light of day ever again when I'm done with him." _

_I stared at Nightmare, alarmed at his sudden changed of attitude. This...was completely different from how he normally was. It...frightened me a little, actually. But, at the same time, it seemed to comfort me. I felt safe here, in the dream with Nightmare. Like nothing could harm me. Back in the basement I felt like every nerve was on edge, wondering where I was going to get hurt next. This was...much more comforting. _

_I stared at my wrists, where bruises had formed hideously. The shackles weren't put on kindly. It was obviously meant to hurt the victim. I watched my hands start to fade, and looked up at Nightmare blankly. When I realized that I was waking up, fear formed on my face. I wasn't going to hide my terror. I didn't want to wake up. I wanted to stay here where I was safe. I wanted to stay with my best friend. _

_Nightmare looked slightly pained as he watched me fade. "I'm sorry, Alexis. I promise; we'll be there as soon as possible." _

I awoke and nearly screamed, the pain I was feeling having intensified. The dream must have numbed out _everything_. Tears welled up in my eyes at the agonizing pain I felt, and I could only sit there in the same position for hours, crying silently to myself as I waited for Nightmare to keep his promise.

It was horrible. Every second, every minute-every single moment I sat there I waited. Waited for the brunette male to walk in and torture me, interrogating me for Nightmare's weakness and asking me repeatedly about Gray. I kept waiting for Nightmare and Gray to bust into the room and rush down the stairs, breaking the chains and saving me.

None of that happened, and the silence was _killing _me on the inside. It was that moment when you were watching a movie, terrified and waiting to see if the main character was going to survive this really horrible battle or if he would get killed. The only difference was that it was much, _much _worse. So much more intense, and a thousand times more frightening. The anticipation scared me so badly, I was actually wishing that the man would come and torture me just so I wouldn't have to put up with this terrible horror anymore.

Unfortunately I gained my wish, and the man walked in not soon after. To my surprise, it was Damien. With his black hair and light skin, and his rough facial features, I was able to recognize him through the blurriness of my tears.

He knelt down in front of me and scowled, observing my beaten form. "Well, don't you look like you've been through hell? Don't worry, you're just going to have to put up with it for just a while longer." Pain flared through my face like a wildfire as he touched a mark on my face. It wasn't gentle like when Nightmare brushed his fingers against the marks, and it was obvious Damien was hurting me for the fun of it. "The second the rotten bastard and the lizard get here, you can go, alright? Don't worry that pretty little-well, your now-not-so-pretty little face of yours. You'll be all nice and stitched up..." He grabbed my chin and lifted my head, making me stare into the spot where his eyes would be. "Isn't that a kind thought?"

I just stared at him blankly, no emotion showing on my face. He scowled at me and released me, standing up and turning away. Oddly, my face muscles hurt and it took a moment for me to realize I was smiling. Slowly, I started to chuckle, which then turned into full-blown laughter. My eyes started to water from laughing. My ribs ached. Damien froze at the bottom of the stairs and turned to look down at me, confusion on his face. He was very obviously disturbed.

"What's so funny, brat?"

I stopped laughing, leaning forward and giving him an amused and bitter grin. "You _really _think that I'm dumb enough to believe that? Dude, you-you are so freaking screwed. L-Like, o-oh my god, it's so funny!" I felt like a madman. I was mad as a Hatter, but not quite like Blood Dupre. "When Nightmare and-and Gray get here, you won't even have time to blink! They're going to kick. Your. _Ass._"

He scowled at me and growled, "Is that so?"

My smile widened. "Yup." He was going to get beat up, that much was obvious. The other guy...if Nightmare was as scary as he was earlier, and is as scary as all the townspeople say, then I doubt that man was going to live very long. That thought put a bad feeling in my stomach, and I realized that I didn't want him to die. Odd, considering all the things he's done to me, but he didn't kill me. He injured me, but didn't kill me. So, why should he die? Beating him up is fine, but killing him? "Gray's like an overprotective mother; mess with his children, you won't see the light of day. Nightmare's a whiny older brother, who doesn't like to do anything and prefers to lazy about. But if you mess with his family, you're pretty much screwed."

I flinched when Damien reached down and grabbed my hair, pulling on it harshly. "You think you're smart, huh? Well, riddle me this, bitch; when a little brat makes a grown man angry, what happens?"

"The grown man says, "Oh, you're forgiven", and lets the little brat go?" I suggested, only to cry out in pain as I got back-handed in the face. "Okay, okay, I-I get it! S-Stop it!" His pulling on my hair was causing the cuffs around my wrist to pull and press roughly against the fragile skin, adding even more bruises and cuts. I could feel warmth trickling down my hands and fingers, and it didn't take long for me to figure out I was bleeding.

"Stop being such a smart-ass and I wouldn't have to do this!"

"_Gyah-!_" I cried out and quickly cut myself off, slamming my mouth shut and grounding my teeth together. No more screaming. I won't scream. I refuse to scream.

_Pierce... _I wish he was here. He was always there when I needed him and now, when I needed him most...he was gone. I missed his hugs, I missed his smile, I missed his stupid kisses and his stupid, stupid, idiotic face... I missed his voice.

Damn it. Get out of my head.

Despite that not being what I meant, Damien released my hair and allowed me to hang my head, tears streaming down my face. "Just be a good girl and stop back-sassing me, okay?" Swallowing the lump my throat, I scowled and nodded slowly, not saying anything.

_-You'll thank me one day- _

I'm sorry, Aunt Tammy. I'm so sorry...

Out of all the people that I've wronged, she was probably the worst. I was worse to her than I was to Pierce. All she was doing was trying to help me, and I just dismissed everything and threw it back in her face, fighting with her constantly and saying how all those lessons were pointless.

Please, forgive me. I wish I could truly apologize...

My biggest revolt was my biggest mistake. I had always complained how mean she was to me, how she was always hurting me and acting like a jerk... She just wanted to help me, even if that "helping" ended up getting me sick from eating soap. She yelled at me for being sarcastic and back-talking, and if I had actually listened, I probably wouldn't be in this state now...

But, if I listened, then I wouldn't be me. I'd just be some doll forced to play a role. Tilting my head, ignoring the pain my neck, I stared motionlessly at the man in front of me.

What...did I do to deserve this, exactly? If only I could apologize...

The word wouldn't escape my throat. I had choked up. Stilling and breathing in deeply, I squeezed my eyes shut as Damien started to walk up the stairs. I wonder...

If I screamed, would anyone hear me? If I cried, would anyone care? If I died, would anyone even notice?

My bottom lip and shoulders trembled as another wave of tears started to fall, and opening my mouth I let out a pent-up silent scream. No sound came out. My crying stopped shortly. I ran out of tears.

Why was I still living?

I jolted at the sound of screaming, and Damien cursed loudly. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun, slowly opening the door. _Who's here? _Obviously not a guest. I watched him in silence as he shot multiple bullets outside the door, Damien yelling loudly in anger. I sighed and slumped against the wall, leaning my head against it and turning to stare at wall blankly. My hair fell into my eyes and I blinked, scowling as I closed my left eye. I didn't want to get any blood in it.

The blood and tears on my clothes vanished suddenly, signalling a time change. There was screaming, and though the sounds caused fear to strike my heart, I paid it little to no attention.

There were footsteps. _Clip-Clap Clip-Clap _they went, heading in my direction slowly. _Clip-Clap Clip-Clap _the sounds grew louder. _Ba-Dump Ba-Dump _my heart beat, pounding in my ears. It was racing fast.

"Well, isn't this a sight? Just what kind of trouble did you go through to get yourself taken hostage...Miss Foreigner?"

Slowly I raised my head, turning my gaze to look up at the man standing before me. His white clothing was stained in red, and he tilted his rose-covered hat in greeting. A smirk spread across his face, and his jade green eyes flashed dangerously. "...Blood." I had no idea if I was talking about the man himself, or the color on his clothes. He raised an eyebrow at me, seeing my distant gaze, before pointing his gun at me. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for death, feeling my heart stop each time I heard a bullet go off.

My arms fell to my sides and my entire upper body screamed at me in pain. I blinked, feeling as though I was about to fall to my side at any moment. My brain wasn't processing anything. Slowly looking down, I saw the cuffs still around my wrists, but instead of holding my arms up, they were laying on the ground. The chains were broken.

"A certain hare heard screaming, and not long after that a little dormouse came to me crying. I then received a mental message about the newest outsider having been kidnapped, and that I was in the vicinity of her position." Hare...dormouse... Elliot and Pierce. "Interrogation took longer than I would have preferred, but at least you aren't dead. Dear Alice would cry her eyes out if a child died." There was a silence after his words, in which neither of spoke or said anything. "Can you stand?"

...Could I? "I..." Speak. Say something. Your voice was working ten minutes ago! "I can't..." I swallowed, "I can't feel my legs. Or my arms."

He sighed. "I suppose it can't be helped, then. Besides, fighting while carrying you could prove to be rather interesting." W-Wait, what? I was unable to protest as he reached down and lifted me up with one arm, carrying me in a very similar _Sesshomaru/Rin _position. Oddly, I'm having a moment of _deja vu. _I can't remember when that was, though. "This way, now. Children are so troublesome to keep track of." Hey! What's...

I felt very light-headed all of a sudden. My hands. Move my hands.

My fingers twitched. My legs were still unmoving. After a few moments of trying to get life back into my limbs, I managed to grip Blood's coat lightly in an effort to make sure I was unable to fall off unless he purposefully dropped me. "Where...are we going?"

Blood didn't answer for a moment as he shot at multiple people. He then spoke, "I'm merely the messenger. However, when you're feeling better, what do you think about coming for a tea party? I _insist_ that you come. Alice has been wanting to see you for ages."

"I..." I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to think. Everything was happening so fast. It went so slow, and now everything was happening like lightning. I can't keep track. "I...guess?"

"Good. Now, I have a question for you." He began calmly, smirking as he switched his gun back into a cane and slammed it against a faceless' head, sending them sprawling backwards with a cracked skull, "Do you know any good baby names?"

I choked on thin air and looked up at him in alarm, startled. Wait, hold on. Baby names? _Baby _names? Why was he asking me for baby names?

Wait. Alice is married to Blood. I went to the mansion and arrived when they were having sex, which meant... "Alice is pregnant?" Blood looked like he didn't know whether to be happy or scared about that fact.

"So it seems." His face turned a little green, and I guessed he was thinking about the times Alice must have vomited from morning sickness and nausea. He swung his cane through the air and rammed it into a guy's stomach, knocking him onto his back. Blood calmly walked over him and up stairs. Even more fighting.

"Blood!" Elliot yelled, shooting rapidly with both guns, "Did you find her?" His ears twitched and he turned his head, his dark scary gaze brightening almost instantly. "Alexis, you're alright!" However, the seconds he saw the wounds, his face darkened and he cursed, shooting multiple faceless.

That scary face of his...oddly reminded me of Derek. Huh. Elliot does kinda look like him, with the wavy hair and almond eyes. I miss my big brother... I frowned, ignoring the tingling pain in my face as I clutched Blood's coat as tight as I could with my weak hands. I felt completely pathetic. "Yeah..." My voice was quiet. "I'm fine." I wanted to go home. I wanted to go back to Clover Tower.

"Elliot, I'm leaving this to you and the twins." Elliot grinned at that and side-stepped a bullet, his ear twitching as he pointed a gun behind him and pulled the trigger, knocking another man dead before whirling around and letting bullets rip through the air.

"Got it!"

"W-Wait, hold on, they can't-!" I started to protest, suddenly realizing the danger we were in. "There are too many!"

"Miss Foreigner," Blood began, not looking at me as he opened a door and started to go up another flight of stairs, "Are you questioning my second in command? You seem to forget that we are Mafia. Elliot and the twins are far more than capable of fighting off such fools and getting away unharmed."

I bit my lip, not wanting to argue with the Mafia Boss. The irony in this was incredible. I was kidnapped by Mafia, and was saved by Mafia.

But where was Pierce? He's Mafia, and he's the only one not here... Was he cleaning up the bodies? Probably. I really needed to stop thinking about him. Jerk.

...That's right. Why am I...degrading? Is that the word? _Degrading_. Why am I having so much trouble speaking? Why do I feel so bad calling my friends jerks? It's not like I actually mean it when I say it. They know that.

Being locked up for three time periods straight can really mess with one's head. Blood opened a door and I scowled, burying my face into his chest and squeezing my eyes shut as light burned my eyes and heated up my cold skin. _It hurts... _My entire body started to sting.

_Tik-Tok_

_Tik-Tok_

_Tik-Tok_

I blinked and opened my eyes, squinting at the unusual sound. Was that...Blood's clock ticking away in his chest? I never really paid that much attention to the hearts of those in Wonderland. I knew they had clocks instead of actual _hearts_, but... For a brief moment, I remembered listening to Pierce's clock when he hugged me, and I remembered hearing Nightmare's when he comforted me. It wasn't scary, more as it was just really weird, but it was actually a rather nice sound. The sound of ticking clocks... Instead of making one anxious, the clocks in the chests of the people in Wonderland were more comforting and relaxing that one would have thought.

I turned my head, resting it against Blood's shoulder, and could make out two blurry figures in the distance running towards us. Sliver and blue... Grey and Gold.

Grey...Gray. Gray and Nightmare. Nightmare! I jolted in Blood's hold, causing him to look down at me with a raised eyebrow.

I felt Gray take me from Blood, a dark look forming on his face. Why are people getting so angry? I swear, Blood is the only calm one here. Then again, I hardly even know the dude, so... Gray regarded Blood coolly, despite having such an obvious dislike for him. There was small grudging respect however, and I could only stare between the two in confusion. Gray nodded, not outright thanking Blood, who smirked.

"I only agreed to save her because of Alice. She'd be utterly distraught if something happened to her." Blood then looked down at me and said, "I expect an answer to my question, Alexis. The next time I see you, I want some suggestions."

"Uh...R-Right." I watched him walk off in confusion, and felt Gray shift. I blinked and looked up at him, then at Nightmare who looked like he was going to rage. Raging Nightmare...Huh. I've seen crying complaining Nightmare, but never a raging one.

"That's because you've never seen me angry," Nightmare responded, narrowing his eye. "The man who did this to you; what did he look like?"

Before I could stop myself, I blurted, "Don't kill him!"

Nightmare smiled, which actually frightened me a little. He crossed an arm over his chest and held his chin with his free hand, "Oh, I won't kill him and neither will Gray. I'll just give him some..._unpleasant _dreams. Isn't that right?"

Gray nodded, "Indeed. Lord Nightmare and I will handle the rest, Alexis. The Cheshire Cat should be here shortly to send you back to the tower." As if on cue, Boris jumped out of a restaurant door and ran over, twirling a gun in his hand.

"Sorry I took so long! Where's the bastard I need to shoot?"

"Boris?" I looked alarmed at the cat, who I had been avoiding. He looked at me and grinned, before scowling.

"Shabby faceless. Who did this to ya?"

"I'm fine. Gray, set me down." It was a mistake asking that. The second my feet touched the ground, my legs buckled and I feel forward. Boris reached out caught me quickly, looking up at Nightmare and Gray in confusion. I grunted, pain wracking my arms and torso.

Nightmare ordered, "Take her back to the tower. We'll be there as soon as we're done. What they did is unforgivable."

Don't kill him...

Boris nodded, frowning deeply, before lifting me up. I didn't bother to protest, knowing that it would be pointless of me to try walking anyway. I knew when to give up, though it took a big load of pride away when I did so. I hated asking for help. "Alright, then. Don't take too long." Boris walked away, looking back for a brief moment before shifting me in his arms to open a door, walking through it and arriving in my bedroom. He moved over to the couches in the far end of the room and set me down on one, causing me to flinch. He knelt down in front of me and asked, frowning, "Which wounds are the worst?"

My first thought was the letters carved into my leg, but I clamped my mouth shut. Boris noticed, his ear twitching.

"What's the matter? Which one hurts ya the most?" I didn't answer. "...Just what did they do to ya? You aren't...yelling at me." Is that how I was viewed? An angry person who doesn't stop yelling? "Hold still. I'm sorry if this hurts." He grabbed my right arm gently and licked the cuts and bruises over my wrist, and I watched blankly as they started to fade. "You're lucky Pierce is out there right now and not here. If he saw what they did to ya... He'd probably lock ya up." He chuckled lightly, as if trying to lighten the mood. He released my right hand, and I flexed my fingers, slowly starting to regain completely control and feeling in it. The pain was vanishing, but that only intensified the pain in the rest of my body.

He made quick work of all my other visible wounds, lapping at my other wrist and the cuts on both my arms. He rid the scratches on my face-which caused me to still and hold my breath as he did so-and I could only watch as the older boy moved down to my lower legs. His eye widened considerably before his face morphed into rage. "Bitch? _Bitch? _Who the hell did this to ya? _Tell me!_"

"It was just a random guy, Boris," I responded plainly. I was too tired to argue like I usually would. "You don't have to throw a fit over it."

"A random guy_ scarred_ ya! He beat ya to a pulp and left bruises on your neck and cuts all over your body!" Why are people getting so mad over it? I really doubt that they're actually worried about me... so I would think if I was how I used to be. They're my friends and I know they care, but...why are they getting so..._angry _when I was such a jerk to them? Why are they worried about me when I'm such a bad person? "Do you have any idea how scared we were when we found out you were taken? Ya aren't replaceable, 'Lexis! If ya died, you'd be dead. There'd be no replacement for ya."

"Yet you think that there are replacements for you?" He closed his mouth, staring at me with a frown. "I'm sorry. I didn't plan to get kidnapped. I-I didn't-I didn't want any of this to _happen_. But it did, and it's over now, so deal with it." My words were harsh and curt, but at the moment I didn't really care. "When one dies, they die. No one comes back from the dead. Your clock may get broken and fixed, but the person who comes back isn't you. I don't want to hear any arguments right now. I'm taking a bath, and then I'm going to bed. Thanks for helping me, and I'm sorry for not making sure you were okay after the gunfight, but I had a long few time periods."

I stumbled and limped to my wardrobe, pulling out a shirt that belonged to Nightmare and a pair of black cotton pants. I grabbed some fresh underwear and tucked all the articles of clothing against my chest, wincing. I had some bruises on my stomach from when the brunette man kicked me.

"Ya can barely even walk!" Boris protested, standing up. "Don't ya need help?"

"I'm fine." I replied, pushing my bathroom door open. I looked at him and said once again, "Thank you for everything, but I'm fine."

**I read that Blood is unexpectedly fond of children, thus his reaction with Alexis-who he thinks of as a small child. He has no interesting in personally rearing children however, but I decided to be a jerk and make him have a kid with Alice anyway. Mwahahahaha! Hahahaha! I already have the name planned out and everything, and it's even funnier because we were learning about punnet squares in Biology last week and the week before. I'm actually pretty good at those. :) Black hair (Since I'm fairly certain Alice is Japanese, which makes her genes recessive, and since Blood most likely has dominant Black Hair) and teal-colored eyes. Not telling you if it's a boy or girl, or what his/her name is, however. That's a secret. **

**_"Himitsu_."**


	25. Aftermath

_B-I-T-C-H_

The letters had turned into scars. It would be quite a few time periods before they faded. I sat down on the bathroom tiled floor and pulled my legs to my chest, running a hand gently down my legs. I had shaved as best as I could with my newly appointed scars, so they were smooth, but the lines that traced my legs that formed the scars felt rough, I could still remember how painful it was to get them.

The feeling of a sharp knife dragging painfully against your skin, sliding into the meat and causing red liquid to gush out... I held my breath, trying to clear my head of the horrible memory. I pulled my pants leg back down and stood, not bothering to brush my damp hair. Right now, all I wanted to do was sleep... be in a dream.

I loved dreams. I loved the dream world. Maybe it's because if I stayed here in Wonderland, my role would be Nightmare's apprentice, the "Dreamer". Maybe it's because it's my best friend's domain. I just felt safe there. Relaxed. I never had bad dreams with Nightmare around, which is ironic considering his name. A small smile crossed my lips at the thought and I sighed, reaching over and unlocking the door. I slowly opened it, feeling my bangs fall down into my face.

Opening my eyes and lifting my gaze, I turned to look at my bed, almost expecting to see Pierce sitting there and waiting to tackle me in a hug and bombard my face with kisses. He wasn't there. My chest hurt a little, and I realized that I missed him. I wished that he was here. It just wasn't the same without him. Walking over to my bed, I pushed the covers back and laid down, grabbing the stuffed bear Pierce gave me and cuddling it to my chest.

Sunflowers. It smelled like sunflowers-like Pierce. Pierce, Pierce, Pierce...not a second goes by when he doesn't cross my mind, huh? I'm so pathetic... I couldn't even save myself. I'm so weak... I felt tears well up in my eyes and curled into a ball, hugging the bear tightly. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to hold back tears, and it didn't take long for me to pass out.

* * *

_Alexis...Bastards. They deserve this. _Pierce dug a knife painfully into the chest of a half-dead faceless, twisting it and watching him writhe in pain. Pierce smiled. He wasn't going to let these bad men get away with hurting his Alexis. She was _his_. She belonged to him. She was his "treasure" and she was his friend. Pierce wanted more than that though, but was willing to wait as long as it took to get her to fall for him. She kissed him back multiple times however, so Pierce figured that he had a pretty good chance. "You dead yet, chuu?" He wanted to get to Alexis as fast as possible.

Blood gurgled out of the man's mouth and trailed down his lips, and it took a moment before he went still. Pierce removed his knife from his chest, and just to make sure that he stayed dead, slit his throat, cutting into the windpipe.

"Hey, Pierce." Pierce stood up and turned around excitedly, hearing Elliot's voice. It was slightly disturbing, the mouse smiling while being coated in blood, but Elliot paid no mind. It didn't matter to him whether one was covered in blood or not. Pierce saw a man with brown hair squirming in the rabbit's grasp, fear etched across his face. He had a mole underneath where his right eye should be, and tan skin. "This one admitted to torturing Alexis."

Pierce's eyes widened, and a huge smile spread across his face as his grip tightened on the knife he was holding. "I get to play with him, then?" Elliot nodded. Pierce then noticed the bullet wound in the faceless' right shoulder and left leg, and decided to begin from there. He was going to find out every little thing he did to his Alexis, and Pierce was going to pay him back tenfold of what he did to her.

"No, no please!" The man begged, but Elliot quickly threw him onto the ground. The March Hare then roughly kicked the man in the side, rolling him onto his back. Pierce quickly moved over and knelt down, swiftly holding the knife to the man's throat to prevent him from the moving. Pierce then pulled out another knife that he was holding and held it to the bullet wound in the man's shoulder. The faceless was crying at this point-something that always confused Pierce as he had no eyes. Where did the tearducts come from? He didn't ponder that thought, and listened as Elliot walked away, the mouse's ear twitching. "Wh-What are you going to do to me!?"

"Hey, hey, not so loud." Pierce murmured. He gently touched the blade to the wound, causing the faceless to cry out. "Be good, now-chuu. What did you do to Alexis?"

...

After Pierce had buried the bodies, he used one of his mouse doors to get back to the Clover Tower, knowing that Alexis would be there in her room. Her scent was strongest there, and extremely fresh. He'd remember that honeysuckle scent anywhere. She smelled amazing-a mix of something very sweet and extremely fruity... His nose twitched and he longed to be near her. After spending about five minutes in the darkness, the time changed and the blood on his clothes and skin vanished. He opened the small mouse door and walked into her room, closing the door behind him and turning back into his normal size. His ear twitched, hearing the sound of her calm beating heart.

It was enticing and relaxing. He then scowled, smelling cat fur all over the room. He even smelled some Boris, which made his clock tick in annoyance. Alexis was _his_. He crept over to her bed as silent as the mouse that he was, his footsteps not even making a sound. It was like a ghost drifting over the floor. He climbed onto the big bed and hovered over her, staring at her relaxed sleeping form. Her mouth was parted in an "o" shape as she breathed softly, and her eyebrows were furrowed just the slightest. Her nose had scrunched a little, feeling the weight on the bed shift, before relaxing and turning on her side to face Pierce.

She was beautiful. _So cute~, _Pierce thought with a smile. He leaned down and brushed his nose against her for a moment, before moving and burying his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. He reached up and planted a light kiss against her jawbone, before leaning down and pressing his lips against her's gently, effectively stealing one from the unsuspecting victim.

Alexis looked completely unharmed, but the reason why that was tugged at Pierce's chest, causing him to scowl. Boris. The bad kitty-the _scary _kitty got his paws on Alexis again. Pierce observed her sleeping form for a moment before deciding that he was going to watch after her. He moved to the edge of the bed and pulled off his coat and hat, sliding off his boots and setting them on the floor. He shifted and moved close to Alexis, pulling the blankets on top of them both before scooting closer and wrapping arms around Alexis, pulling her smaller form closer to him.

No more bad men were going to get Alexis. Pierce was never going to let her out of his sight again. _Maybe she can come and live with me? _He thought excitedly, a smile spreading across his face. Reaching a hand up, he brushed some slightly damp strands of hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ear. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead, smiling as he closed his eyes. Alexis was so cute. She was completely pathetic, but totally and absolutely cute. _We'd have so much fun together! Ah, when she wakes up and if she's feeling any better, we can go get something to eat! _With how long she's been gone, he was certain she was to the point of starving. A time period is generally _hours_, and she was gone for three periods.

"Pierce..." His eyes shot open in surprise at the sound of his name and he looked down to see Alexis mumbling softly in her sleep, and he blinked when she reached over and grabbed his shirt gently with her hands. "I'm...sorry..."

Pierce was surprised, but a huge smile spread across his face. He grabbed her hand gently and pried it off of his shirt, leaning his head down and kissing the knuckles of her hand. "It's okay, Chuu." He had no idea what she was apologizing for, but he was happy that she was dreaming of him. He wondered if it was Nightmare doing something and making her dream about him, or if it was just her dreaming of his own accord. He hoped it was the latter. "I love you." She didn't say anything back, but he felt her leg brush against his lightly. He closed his eyes and smiled, holding her to him protectively.

Alexis was so cute. She was beautiful, and nice, and friendly, and she didn't hate him. She's so adorable when she's flustered, and when he goes and kisses her...

He loved her so much. She says she hates him, but he knows that she doesn't. Her heart beat and her eyes tell him everything. She was his, and he'd be damned if anything else happened to her. Sometimes, Pierce thought about burying her underground just so no one else could take her from him. He knew she wouldn't like that though, and if he did do that, Alexis would hate him. He didn't want her to hate him.

Pierce kissed her head one more time before breathing slowly, lulling himself to sleep. He'd question her about the bruises and about her leg when she wakes up.

* * *

I wasn't sure how long I slept. All I know is that when I woke up, I was not expecting to find myself tangled together with Pierce, pressed closely against him. My heart got lodged in my throat as I felt my face turn a few shades brighter. This...was not good.

_-If he saw what they did to ya, he'd probably lock ya up- _

_-Pierce would probably snap if he saw you in this state-_

If he sees my leg...But, I'm wearing pants, so everything is okay! B-But...

Seeing his sleeping face, my heart beat a little faster. I found myself observing every single detail of his face-the small gentle curve of his lips and the adorable little dimples when he smiled...The round cheekbones and the surprisingly long dark eyelashes... I quickly squeezed my eyes shut, slightly disturbed with myself. Who the hell watches people when they're sleeping?

Maybe I should go put ace-wrap or something around my leg until the letters vanish? Yeah, good idea. I gently untangled my legs from Pierce's, and tried to remove his arms from around me without waking him.

It was safe to say that it didn't work. Pierce's ear twitched and he opened his eyes, staring at me groggily for a moment before light flashed in his eyes. I let out a startled squeak when he suddenly twisted, practically flying as he moved like lightning. Before I knew it I was pinned against the bed, Pierce hovering on top of me with his legs and hands on either side of me, trapping me and leaving to room for escape. His eyes observed me quickly-from head-to-toe with a calculating and skeptical gaze. His eyes stopped on the bruises on my neck and frowned.

I tensed. What was he going to say or do this time? Was it going to be better or worse than last time? N-Not that it was _bad _or anything, but-but it wasn't really good either. I ADMIT NOTHING.

"You should say something, chuu." Pierce spoke, causing me to turn my head and look at him. I diverted my gaze, refusing to look at him or speak. "Do you know how scared I was?"

Blood had said Pierce was crying. But Pierce was always crying, so that didn't really tell me much.

A squeak escaped my lips when Pierce suddenly start to unbutton my shirt, causing me to reach up and grab his hands. He looked down at me in confusion, not understanding what he was doing wrong. "What's the matter?"

"Y-You can't just go and do that!" I stammered, face turning a very bright red. His ear twitched. "N-No undressing me!"

"But I want to see your bruises." He responded with a frown. "There are bruises on your chest and stomach, aren't there?"

I could feel the blood drain out of my face. No... "NO! They-They vanished already! So-So no unbuttoning!" Pierce looked like he wanted to argue, but held back. "H-Hey!" I squirmed, trying to get out of his hold as one of his hand slipped underneath my shirt, pushing the cloth up and revealing my stomach. His ear twitched at the sound of my racing heart, and I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to brace myself for what might come next. Feeling nothing happen, I hesitantly opened an eye and found Pierce staring down at me with dark eyes. "P-Pierce?"

My eyes widened when he suddenly leaned down and wrapped his arms around me tightly, his face hidden from my view. However I could tell from the sound of his voice that he was crying. "I-I just want to lock you up...I-I'd like to bury you underground so no one else could have you...so no one else can take you away from me." He pulled away and looked down at me, tears streaming down his face. A droplet or two fell and splashed against my face. I wanted nothing more than to wipe those tears away and make him smile. However, I just laid there silently. "But...But you wouldn't like that, right? You love me?"

"L-_Love?_" I repeated, alarmed. How-How did he-no. No, that's just him. He's just being Pierce. "Wh-What are you talking about!?" Pierce sniffled and bit his lip, leaning his head back for a moment as he fought off another wave of tears. I felt horrible, but pushed that feeling away. "How many times do I have to tell you; I don't lo_-!_" He cut me off with a kiss, pressing his mouth against mine desperately. My heart jumped and raced a bit faster as I turned my head, closing an eye as I tried to push him off. My face felt warm. "P-Pierce, why are you-" He cupped the right side of my face with his hand, using his other to keep himself from crushing me with his weight. "H-Hey!" My voice squeaked and I went completely still as I felt him kiss a soft spot on my neck. My breathing hitched. "P-Pierce?" I asked uncertainly.

"Why won't you just say it?" He asked quietly.

"Say _what!?_" I flinched when he grabbed my wrists. I remembered what it was like to have the cuffs digging into my flesh. "O-Ow! Pierce, cut it out! I'll kick your-" I cut myself off, squeezing my eyes shut when I realized what I was about to say. No. No more being a jerk. I-I can't...I can't...

Pierce frowned. He tilted his head and lifted himself up, staring down at me. "W-Why haven't you yelled at me yet?"

"B-Because..." I stammered, before turning my head and looking away. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. Damn it, jerk. You _had _to ask me that, didn't you?

"Because?"

"I..."_ Don't say it. Alexis, don't say it. He doesn't really love you._ I swallowed the lump in my throat and said, "Because I'm a-a jerk to you." My voice cracked a little and I flinched. "You-You don't deserve being..." I couldn't say it. "J-Just-Just go away! Don't look at me, damn it!" I tried to curl up into a ball as best as I could, but Pierce would have none of it. He placed a leg on top of mine to hold it in place, and refused to let go of my wrists. I squirmed a little, trying to get out of his hold. "J-Just leave me alone..." I felt so weak. So pathetic and useless... Why couldn't I do anything?

Why does Pierce keep doing this? I inhaled sharply when Pierce pressed his lips against the corner of my eyes, kissing away the tears that were starting to form. He moved down to kiss my cheeks, and I opened my eyes to stare at him in shock. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. His ear twitched.

"...Pierce?"

"Hm?" He turned to look at me, blinking. "What's the matter, chuu?" He released my wrists and sat up, straddling my waist. My face flared. A smile curled up on his lips. "You're so cute~!" He leaned down and kissed me again, causing me to scrunch my nose up in confusion.

Stupid Pierce kept confusing me. He goes and does one thing and then does a 360 on his personality and acts completely different. Freaking jerk! No-No, be nice...be..._nice_... DAMN IT ALL! I CAN'T FREAKING DO IT! I GIVE UP!

"Why the _hell _do you keep _kissing _me!? I know for a damn fact that it's not 'cause I'm "cute" or anything like that, Pierce!" I pushed the jerk off of me and sat up, glaring at him with teary eyes. "Just-Just give me a straight answer already!" Pierce looked stunned at my words.

He then leaned forward, staring me straight in the eyes. A small smile spread across his lips. "I already told you, chuu. I love you."

"Th-That's not an answer!" I argued, leaning my head back. "You love me like you love Elliot and Peter and Nightmare! I want an actual-" My eyes closed out of reflex when he leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine, wrapping his arms around my neck and pulling me closer to him. I felt him smile. After a few moments, Pierce pulled away and murmured softly,

"Not like that, chuu. I love you like a man-to-woman. Say you love me too?"

My face turned beet red and I could only stammer out responses, anything I was trying to say coming out like complete gibberish. L-Love was too strong a word! I-I mean, I do, but-uh-_GYAH!_ "I-I don't love you!" I growled, turning my head defiantly and crossing my arms, creating some distance between us. "I-I just..." Come _oooon. SAY IT! _Damn it, this was embarrassing. "I just..." I swallowed. "Really..._like _you?" My voice squeaked.

Pierce looked like the happiest mouse in the world at that moment as he flew forward, slamming his lips roughly against mine and knocking me back onto the sheets.

"H-Hey-!"

"Yay! You like me!" Pierce looked down at me excitedly, asking with a bright smile, "Does this mean we're a couple now, chuu? Can I kiss you all I want, chuu?"

Wh-What the hell!? He kisses me already! The hell-? W-Wait, c-c-couple!? A-As in-As in boyfriend/girlfriend? A-As in...

..hand holding and-and cuddling and-and-My face turned so red I thought it was going to explode. My heart beat rapidly in my chest and I quickly covered my face with my hands, turning onto my side and refusing to look at him. "W-Where'd that come from!?"

"You didn't say "no"-Chuu! Yay!" Pierce looked like he was going to bounce off the walls. "That means you're completely mine, now! Ne, will you come with live me then? I can protect you from all the bad men!"

"I-I'm not moving!" Damn it, face, stop being red! I can't even look at him! "J-Just don't get so close!"

"_Ehhhh?_ Why not!?"

"B-Because!"

"...You're so cute when you're flustered!"

"I'm not flustered, damn it! You're just too close!" I felt him kiss my cheek and I scowled, reaching a hand up and pressing it against his head. I was tempted to grab his ear and pull on it. He let out a whine.

"I-I can't kiss you with your hand in the way, Alexis~!"

"That's the point!"

"You-You don't like my kisses?" My eyes widened and I was unable to answer. I scowled at him, still pushing his head back away from my face. "A-Alexis?"

"It's-It's not that I don't _like _them-which-which I don't, I can assure you!" I stammered, before flinching and crying out at the sight of his ready-to-burst-into-tears face, "I-I mean-I _do _like them, but I-I-" I groaned and released Pierce, running a hand down my face. "Never mind...you can kiss me."

He cheered. Jerk. It-It's not like I'm doing it for him, anyway... It's not like I didn't want to see him sad or anything...

"You should still come and live with me!" Pierce continued to suggest, grinning widely. He then paused, frowning as he stared at me. "Oh...Your leg. Can you move it?"

"Uh...yeah." I felt like that was stupid question. Of _course _I can move my leg. What made him take so long to realize that? "Why-_hey!_" I let out a shout of protest when he reached over and grabbed my left calf, pushing up the pants leg to reveal to the cruel words. I visibly cringed.

"...Alexis?"

"Y-Yeah?"

Pierce turned to me and smiled, "The man who hurt you is dead now, so you don't have to be scared anymore! No more bad guys are coming after you!" He then bit his lip and pouted, making an adorable thinking face. "But...with April Season coming up...Hm... Ah! I'll protect you always, chuu! So there's nothing for you to worry about! I'm going to protect my "treasure"!" He wrapped his arms around me as he declared this, kissing me on the cheek. I scowled at him, ignoring the blush forming on my face.

Jerk... Wait...Dead? Oh, shit. Freaking... No. No, Nightmare said he wouldn't have him killed. That neither he nor Gray would kill him...

_But he never said that no one else would. Did Pierce... _I stared at the smiling mouse, and frowned, realizing that it wouldn't be completely out-of-character for him to do so. _Did Pierce kill him? Why? _I know his job was the gravedigger, and that he was to clean up after the Mafia and occasionally interrogate people, but... _What reason would Pierce have for killing him? _Wait,_ April Season? _

Wonderland had months? Seriously? Huh. I didn't know that. Next thing I know there will be seasons. God, I hated Winter...

Winter makes me sick. I always end up passing out from being in the cold too long. I'm okay with the other seasons, though I'm not a fan of the sunburn I get during Summer. Pretty much the reason why I wear jackets all the time.

_Tik-Tok_

_Tik-Tok_

I listened to the steady ticking of Pierce's clock, my head against his chest. Oddly...despite them sounding the same, I liked the sound of Pierce's ticking clock much more than Blood's. It was more relaxing, and by far more comforting. I felt safe with Pierce...not that I would actually admit it to him.

Jerk.

**One more chapter after this, then it's We're All Mad Here: Circus Freaks. :) Btw, I've read that "Unlike Pierce" nobody messes with Joker. What did they mean by that? I've been looking for summaries of Pierce's route in Joker no kuni-detailed ones-but I can't find anything. What did the person mean by that? What is Pierce's relationship with Joker? If you could tell me, I'd appreciate it. Thank you! **

**Read and review! **

**Wikipedia only stores so much info... -_-**

**I think Circus Freaks might be shorter than this. Who knows? **


	26. Decision Unmade, Vial Not Filled

"..."

There was complete silence at the dinner table.

"..."

Gray spoke up calmly, eyeing Pierce with a raised eyebrow, "What has made you decide to join us for supper, Pierce?"

Pierce wrapped his arms around my neck and I scowled, feeling my face flush as he leaned over and kissed my cheek. "I'm keeping an eye on Alexis, chuu! She refused to come live with me, so I'm living here with her!" Gray's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked over at Nightmare for confirmation. Nightmare nodded, picking some noodles up with his fork. He mixed them in with his cheesy ranch sauce.

"It's true. They became a couple around two time periods ago."

Pierce beamed at the news, while I protested profusely. "W-We are-We are not a couple!" Nightmare bit into his food, raising an eyebrow at me. My face turned even darker. "Sh-Shut up! Don't look at me like that!"

"W-We're not?" Tears welled up in Pierce's eyes and I flinched, stammering as I waved my hands in front of him frantically.

"N-No! I-I mean, yes! I-I mean, we-we are b-but-but we're not? I-I don't know!" _GYAH! Nightmare, help me!_ The Incubus smirked, thoroughly amused by everything that was happening.

"What she means to say, Pierce, is that you _are _a couple. She's just embarrassed about it because she's never had a boyfriend before." Pierce frowned, biting his trembling lip, before nodding slowly. He trusted Nightmare's words. He could read minds after all.

"I-I am _not _embarrassed!" I argued.

"Are too." Nightmare responded.

"Are not!"

"Are too~!"

"I am NOT!"

"Yes, you _are!_"

"_GAH!_ Gray~! Nightmare's being mean to me!" I pointed at the older man, whining. Gray sighed and shook his head, placing his knife and fork down on his plate, before wiping his hands off with a napkin. "Help me!"

"No, help _me!_" Nightmare shouted, "She's not listening to me!"

I glared at him. "Why should I be listening to you? You tried to put me under house arrest!"

"I'm an adult, and it was for your own safety!"

"Didn't work, now did it?" I flinched, seeing Nightmare wince. The table grew extremely quiet and I sat back down in my chair, looking down at my hands, fiddling with my fingers. "I..." _I'm sorry. I didn't mean that._ I wish I was able to say that out loud.

"It's fine," Nightmare said quickly, taking a drink of his water. Times like these, I liked that Nightmare was able to read minds. However, he quickly ran to the sink to spit out the water he drank, Gray having mixed in some of Nightmare's medicine when we were arguing. Nightmare coughed roughly and I sighed, completely used to these events. In all honesty, now that I think about it, even if I _did _go back to my world it would probably take years for me to get used to the boring life there.

School, homework, sitting on my butt all day without going on "adventures" with Ace and running for my life from the twins... Their favorite game to play with me was "hide-and-seek" which involved me running from them while they waved their weapons around. Jerks. Ace hadn't tried to kill me in a while, so that was good... Peter... Hm. I don't know about him. I do know that I needed to visit the Hatter's again; I'll ask Blood about the tea party during the next Assembly.

_-the next time I see you, I want some suggestions- _

I made a face, realizing that I still needed to think up of some baby names. I squeaked in alarm when blood suddenly spurted out of Nightmare's nose and mouth, splattering against the sink. He whirled around, horror written on his face. I stared at him in confusion, only to let out a sudden shout when he ran over as fast as he could and grabbed my shoulders, staring at me in terror. "You're not pregnant, are you!?"

"Wh-What the hell!?" Wh-Why would I be _pregnant!? _

"Pregnant?" Gray narrowed his eyes, and Pierce was smiling widely, a murderous aura surrounding him. "Who did you have intercourse with?" His gaze turned to Pierce, but I quickly screamed, slapping my hands over my ears as I stood up.

"I DIDN'T SLEEP WITH ANYONE, DAMN IT! I STILL HAVE MY V-CARD!"

Everyone seemed to visibly relax at that, but I think it was safe to say that everyone lost their appetite.

_This_. Was _the_ most. _Humiliating_. Moment. _Of my_. Entire. _Life. _

"B-B-B-Blood just asked me to think of some-some baby names be-because Alice is havin' his kid!" My burned hotly and I wanted nothing more than to crawl in a hole and hide.

Nightmare looked like he just got slapped in the face. "Oh..."

I nodded, forcing a smile as I raised my eyebrows. "Yeah. _Alice. _Not me. _Alice Dupre._"

"I-I see then..." Gray mumbled and grew silent. Phew...Mama Bear Gray just barely avoided... I thought I was goner for a second there. Nightmare snorted at my thoughts, holding a hand over his mouth, while Gray cast him a confused look before turning his gaze back to me. "So Miss Alice is now with child?"

I nodded. Everyone seemed to find this hard to process, but found it not very surprising. I mean-I don't know the guy very well, but I could tell he was a perverted figure. The cane he carries says it all. His hat was cool though. I grinned, and Nightmare merely shook his head at me. I tensed when Pierce wrapped his arms around me.

His chin rested on my shoulder and I could feel his warm breath brushing against my neck. I bit the inside of my cheek, resisting the urge to scowl and push him off. His ear twitched and he kissed my cheek, causing red to spread across my cheeks.

_He's so lucky he's cute, otherwise he'd be six feet under by now. _

Nightmare asked, his chin resting on his palm, "Have you come up with anymore creative threats?" I blinked and stared him, keeping a straight-face as I imagined very gruesome images in my head. Gray was left to care for Nightmare as the Incubus spat out blood. I smirked, reaching over to finish my food despite lack of appetite. _Serves him right for making fun of me. Jerk. _"I-I am not a jerk-!" He hacked, more blood spilling out of his mouth. I flinched, guilt hitting me like a ton of bricks.

No. Don't feel guilty. _Then _I realized it wasn't because I called him a jerk that I felt guilty, but because I was the one who made him start coughing up blood. I groaned and hung my head, feeling like a complete idiot and jerk.

The word that was written on my leg rang true. However it was no longer on my leg to remind me of the pain I went through, to remind me constantly of what I truly was. Unfortunately I had the feeling that I was never going to forget that painful time; the time that was still fresh in my mind. My body hurt just thinking about it...the wounds inflicted...the terrifying smirk sent my way...

I inhaled deeply and sighed, not noticing that I reached up and grabbed Pierce's arm. He blinked at me and smiled, and I stiffened when he moved and grabbed my hand instead, lacing his fingers with mine. He kissed the side of my head before resting his head on my shoulder, smiling. W-What was he-? I turned my head in confusion and watched with wide eyes as he lifted my hand up to his mouth and kissed the palm of my hand. "You're so cute, chuu...I'm going to keep you with me."

...

W-What? My face flared a dark red and I scowled, turning my head the other direction. "A-As if! Get your mind out of the gutter!" Despite my words, I didn't move or push him away. Nightmare and Gray smiled at the scene, and Gray stood to put the dishes away.

After Gray put the dishes in the sink, he seemed to remember something. He turned to Nightmare, who paled as sweat started to bead down his face. "It's best time for you to do your paperwork now, Lord Nightmare."

"I...I REFUSE!" He screamed and bolted out of the room as fast as he could, coughing all the way. I raised my eyebrows at the scene before laughing, finding it completely hilarious. However, watching them run out of the room I paused, realizing something.

_Sarah. _I still needed to talk to her. Would... I swallowed, my grip on Pierce's hand tightening just a bit. _Would she let me stay here? _I had no idea. I wanted to know, though. I... I blinked, feeling tears well up in my eyes. I missed them badly, but I...really wanted to stay here. Actually...

I think I'll wait a bit longer before I make my decision. Besides, my vial isn't even completely filled yet. I had plenty of time.

...Right?

I hoped that Jack would forgive me. Derek said it was alright for me to stay in Wonderland, but my father...he had no clue. Only Sarah did. I'm...going to wait. Definitely. I made one too many ties here in Wonderland to just up and leave. I had a choice to make. I wasn't about to choose now.

I wasn't about to leave Boris and Gray, and I definitely wasn't about to leave Pierce and Nightmare. Reaching into my pocket with my free hand, I pulled out the small vial and stared at it, seeing it three-quarters of the way full. I still had a long way to go.

...Wait, what I was forgetting? April...O'Neil? No, wait, that's a _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle _character...

Something about April. Huh. Eh, I'll ask later. If I remember.

**I'll put up the link to We're All Mad Here: Circus Freaks once I actually post it. And seeing how this story wasn't as gruesome as I thought it would be, I'm putting the rating to "T". XD **


	27. AN Sequel Circus Freaks

**The Link to the sequel is here. **

** www . fanfiction s / 11226283 / 1 / We-re-All-Mad-Here-Circus-Freaks**


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